Growing Pains
by DazedInReality
Summary: The Youngest Peltier is fresh out of puberty and grieving over the death of his parents he finds unexpected comfort in pretty Naomi Riley,but his family are worried that Kyle is too young for love.Not very good but been in my head for a while now.
1. Chapter 1

Kyle took a seat at the back of the lecture theatre; he was one of the first people there as usual which always amazed him. He lived at home while most, if not all, of the other students lived on campus in dorms, yet they were always late. Kyle guessed they took the stereotype of drunken frat boy and free loving sorority girl to heart, he guessed he'd be the same too if normal alcohol could get him drunk. Kyle flicked a glance down to his watch; he'd gotten here a good fifteen minutes early, probably why he got this seat. Kyle had eyed it up everyday for the last year. Ever since they got moved into this lecture hall with the raised seats like an amphitheatre, Kyle had wanted to get the seats situated in the back where it was darkest, that way he could chat to his friends without being under the all seeing eye of Dr. Julian Alexander. And ever since he'd wanted it, someone had been sitting in it, usually a girl or her friend. Kyle was just delighting in stretching back in his seat when the door opened near him, he leant forward to see some girl coming through the door, it was the girl that normally had this seat. Their eyes locked for a moment and Kyle looked away feeling a little uncomfortable that he had taken her seat, but at the same time unwilling to give it up. The girl's mouth tightened and she shimmied down the aisle to sit a chair away from him; she put her bag on the chair between them. Kyle thought it was a bit of a childish thing to do, like kids in kindergarten, when they believed that members of the opposite sex would give them cooties. Kyle flicked his eyes up and saw she was looking at him; she had a moody face, not ugly, just stern and kind of harassed looking. Like someone had dumped a dump load of responsibility on her shoulders and the last thing she wanted to tolerate was a fool around her.

"Is it okay if I put this here? It's a bit heavy," she added with a grimace.

"No problem," Kyle said with a smile, her voice was not what he had expected, it wasn't harsh or low or grunting, it was rather melodic. An even tone that was lightly accented and pleasing to the ear, even if it were just a little soft. The girl gave him a half smile back and began to unzip her bag, she pulled out the texts they needed, Kyle noted that the pages were tabbed and colour coded. She also pulled out a pad and started hunting around at the bottom of her bag, no doubt for a pen. Kyle taped his thumb against his pocket laptop and wondered why people made life difficult for themselves.

Being a person who generally talked to anyone he was near and usually uncomfortable with the silences, Kyle leant his head nearer, "How was your summer?"

The girl brought her head up and stared at him for two seconds, as if trying to decide what his motive was for speaking to her. Apparently she decided he was just one of those social butterflies that liked to talk to everyone because she answered in a casually friendly way.

"Err, I went home for the first part then spent the rest with a friend."

Kyle nodded as if interested, but when you barely knew someone it was hard to be interested in their life, he felt the conversation dying before she saved it. "You?"

"Oh, same really. Just stayed at home, no vacation though."

She nodded her head with an awkward expression on her face that told Kyle she wasn't finding him interesting either.

"So … where's home for you then?" Kyle asked.

The dead limbs were still twitching they could possibly save it.

"Just around the corner," she said with a slight laugh in her voice. Big twitch!

"Really? Me too, kinda."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. My family own the bar on Ursulines Avenue."

"Sanctuary?"

"Yeah."

"Nice place you got. I love it there." Just about every girl in town did.

"Thanks."

The girl gave him a strange look, "you lived here all your life?"

"Yep," Kyle replied, a grin gracing his face at the thought of just how long the lives of his brothers and parents were who also lived there too. The grin faded when he thought of his parents and it was followed by an intense pain that had him avoiding her eye.

"Hmm," she said with interest, "so have I. But I just don't remember ever seeing you, and I don't live that far from Ursulines."

"Oh well, when I was a kid my mom never, ever let me hang out. I think she took being a mama bear to a whole new level." Again that pain, the very mention of his mother caused him to want to bawl.

She smiled, "that's probably it. I suppose you work there the rest of your free time, huh?"

"Yeah," Kyle muttered unable to work up a casual tone when his heart was shredding.

"Why you complaining? If my family had a bar that great, I'd never be out of there. My Aunt owns a gift shop in the French Quarter and my Ma owns - used to own a small spa."

"What happened?"

"Not enough trade and too much competition."

"That sucks."

"Yeah, it was fun working there too. But, oh well …" she trailed off with an all-is-good type of smile.

Kyle felt his face lift in a genuine smile, "I'm Kyle by the way," he held his hand out.

"I know," Naomi said, everybody knew, "I'm Naomi."

"Cool," Kyle said, the awkwardness was creeping back between them.

"Do you think we'll have Professor Alexander this year too?"

Kyle shrugged, "maybe." He gave her a mischievous side-long glance, "bet your praying it is, huh?"

Naomi laughed but felt the heat rise in her cheeks, she gave him a grimace. "Maybe. He is a good lecturer though."

"Uhuh, I'm sure that's what you are paying attention to …"

"So there was a hefty amount of drool over my notes - I'm sure you were ogling something other then ancient artefacts in Professor Kaferi's class."

"Hell no!" Kyle laughed, "I know her husband, the guy reads minds!"

Naomi laughed, "yeah, I saw him once. I had no idea she was even married until he turned up that day at her office. I never actually saw him, but I was caught in the crowd of girls around her office."

Kyle laughed, "yeah, he gets that a lot," he pretended to be puzzled, "never could find out why."

Naomi chuckled and then whipped her head around when the door of the lecture hall opened, Kyle craned his neck to see who it was and smiled at his own friends. Phillip and Andrea, who had been going out with each other since the first week they met at college. Stephanie James, Kyle grimaced, she still hadn't gotten over that one time she had come on to him and he had turned her down. Rhys and Travis, who were the most easy-going pair of humans that Kyle had ever met, Kyle was always surprised that there wasn't a perpetual cloud of green haze hanging around them for how much weed they smoked and how little they washed. Their dorm room was a no go area for him and his highly tuned senses. Kyle saw Naomi do a quick scan of the seats along the back row; suddenly she looked down at the second entrance at the bottom of the stairs.

"See ya," she said sweetly.

"You don't have to leave, there is enough room, you know," Kyle laughed as if she was being silly and she smiled at him.

"That's okay, my friends are there," Kyle looked to the bottom of the lecture hall and saw a gang of girls filing into the seats on a lower row. "Thanks though."

She grabbed her bag and scooted out of the row, Stephanie barely moved to let her past, Phillip and Andrea began to move into their seats, but Travis was talking to Naomi. Kyle leaned forward and tuned into their conversation.

"Hey girl, you cool?" Travis asked, while Rhys, as usual, stayed silent except for the dazed smile on his face.

"Yeah, I'm good. You?"

"Same shit, different day, you know how it is."

"Yeah, ain't it the truth. I'll catch you later, 'kay?"

"Ah! Don't I get a hug?" Travis held his arms out and Kyle cringed for her, Naomi laughed and hesitated.

"You gonna try and grope me again?"

Travis burst out into a fit of drug induced giggles. "Not since you floored me the last time!"

Naomi laughed and moved into his arms for a brief hug, before breaking away, giving Rhys a friendly punch on the arm and practically skipping down the stairs to the group of girls who pounced on her with hugs and conversation.

Heedless of the people already in the seats before him, Travis climbed over the chairs and table until he flopped his gangly form into the seat next to Kyle. Stoner or not, the guy had the best stories and the best attitude you could ask for when facing a three hour lecture on ancient civilisations.

"Dude!" Travis cried joyfully, "You good?"

"Same shit, different day," Kyle threw the stoners favourite phrase back at him and Travis nodded solemnly.

"That's what I thought! That's what I thought! You seen Stephanie this year though," Travis purposely raised his voice so Stephanie could hear. "She needs to sue her surgeon, man!"

"Shut up, Travis," she snapped down the row, knowing full well her perfectly pretty face was fine, but too vain to shrug his comment off. "You're such an asshole!"

Travis merely laughed. "Round one to me," he said while getting his laptop out, Kyle was surprise the guy even knew how to turn it on.

"You love to taunt her," Kyle chuckled.

"One of life's pleasure, dude. The girl is so flaky, she gives me the creeps."

Kyle raised a cynical eyebrow, "you wouldn't like to bone her?" he whispered to Travis so Stephanie would have no reason to shout at him.

"On a purely biological level, yes I would. And also so I could torment her for the rest of her life about knowing about some freaky mole she has on her ass or some shit. But really, dude? Would you want to go anywhere near her? Miss Preppy Psycho would cause me to commit murder!"

Kyle laughed and nodded in agreement, then because curiosity got the better of him he asked, "what about that chick?"

"Who?"

"The one you were getting all physical with. You like her? She your girlfriend or something?"

"Naomi?"

"Err, yeah," Kyle said, playing it cool. "Is that her name?"

"Yeah, Naomi Reilly. She's tight, you know."

Kyle nodded, "how did you meet her?" Kyle was genuinely curious about that and slightly surprised. Even though Travis was a genuinely friendly guy, and so was Kyle for that matter, they still tended to stay with certain types of people. He wasn't going to say popular because he'd grown out of high school labelling but Naomi Reilly didn't look like the type of girl that would be in their group, and to be fair she didn't seem the type that would give Travis the time of day.

"First year," Travis said simply, "remember when I misplaced my paper?"

Kyle nodded, he'd seen his friend practically edging towards a breakdown trying to re-write his 6000 word essay in only a week, having lost his notes too he was surely going to fail.

"Well, I was doing, like, all-nighters in the library and you know ... she used to work there part-time. And she like caught me seriously tripping and just came over and started to help me out. Gave me her notes, got me all the right books. Even checked my work for me. And then when it came to the exams I asked her if she would tutor me."

"You actually care what you get in your exams?" Kyle asked astonished and Travis grinned mischievously.

"My indifferent, flippant stone-head persona is merely an artfully placed façade which my real, and actually rather cunning, self hides beneath."

Kyle snorted out a laugh and pretended to tap out something on his computer but out the corner of his eye he watched Naomi Reilly talking enthusiastically to her friend. She surprised him. Truly surprised him. Guys mostly loved Travis, he was funny and witty and so relaxed but as a rule girls usually hated him. They either found him creepy, disgusting, unattractive or all three put together, which was fine with Travis since he didn't like most of the girls he saw anyway, they were all too 'flaky' for him. But apparently Naomi had seen what most of the guys saw in him, a really swell person. For that alone Kyle was intrigued by her, but he really didn't have the time to indulge in intrigues at the present time, it just made him smile to know there were still good people out there.

* * *

"I know I should study," Kyle was looking down at his books that lay unopened on his desk, he looked at his computer and became entranced by the shifting screensaver. He used to have family pictures flashing up as his old screen saver but he couldn't really look at anything with his mother and father on anymore.

"I know I should study," he repeated and looked pleadingly at his books, wanting them to burst open and read themselves for him. Sighing he got up and went downstairs to the bar; he'd try and fit his reading in somewhere, somehow in some other time.

"Shouldn't you be studying?" asked Dev when he saw Kyle emerging into the bar, Kyle ground his teeth in agitation. His brothers often made this happen. None of them had ever attended college except him; their own education was limited to the prehistoric ramblings of philosophers and poets of the sixteenth century. Yet they all felt they had some expertise on the subject and never failed to remind Kyle that he should study.

"I'll do it later," Kyle said neutrally, trying to keep the irritation from his voice, Dev raised his eyebrows with a well-its-your-funeral kind of look.

"If you're sure, but you don't want to fall behind," he said and Kyle immediately redirected his route, going to the front door instead of the pool table. He needed air … and normality. Ever since his parents had died his family had pulled together tighter then ever, but they had also felt the need, that with no real parental figure around, that they all must take up the task of keeping Kyle on the straight and narrow. Kyle wanted to growl in frustration, what could possibly happen!

He was out of the danger zone for succumbing to the Trelosa, drugs and alcohol didn't work on him and no one in the Limani was brave enough to sell him the kind that would because, as his brothers had said, they would relocate the bones in the legs of whichever person did such a thing. Kyle was as straight-laced as it was possible to be and he was pretty sure he was very likely the only virgin his entire college.

It wasn't something he had been particularly ashamed of while in the shelter of Sanctuary. As a rule were-hunters do not become sexually active so soon out of puberty, in fact in some senses should a woman from the bar and Kyle get it on it would a weird case of statutory rape on her part because in his world Kyle was just - and literally _just _- out of his teenage years. This didn't mean he was entirely ignorant of sex, he knew as much as it was possible to know for someone who was continually surrounded by it but had never had it. A fully fledged were-hunter out of puberty had a ferocious sexual appetite, coupled with the fact that they had to sleep around to find their mates; Kyle considered his race the biggest whores of the magical world.

It had only been when Kyle had gone to college and seen how sexual tension and need was rife in the air did he feel out of place. For humans just on the verge of adulthood it was on their minds constantly, girls as well as the boys. It had Stephanie literally crawling drunkenly into his lap at parties and then running off crying when he rejected her, yet girls seemed to like him more for it. Women thought he was "decent" because he wouldn't just sleep around like most of the guys, and some of the guys got jealous. So Kyle gave the illusion that he was unavailable and surprise surprise they just tried harder.

Kyle walked through the French Quarter wondering what to do with himself. He was thinking of going to see Xedix but his female was about to drop her first Charonte slash Dimmi simi and they were all very edgy about outsiders hanging around. Kyle grumbled as he was about to spin around and return home to his books when he sniffed up. A variety of smells collided in his brain but one which was familiar and utterly unexpected, Kyle followed it and it led him straight to Bride's boutique. Stopping before the window he stared at Naomi Riley, she was sorting through a rack of slinky dresses. Her short brown hair was held back by a black Alice band and in her ears she wore dainty studs, she wore black overalls with a white tank top on underneath and the toes of her sneakers peaked out under them. Despite being hugely popular, Kyle didn't associate with or see many of his friends outside of college, but he found himself strangely relieved to see Naomi Riley. Knowing that she wasn't studying at that precise moment either made Kyle feel a hell of a lot better.

A middle-aged woman came out of the door holding on to a handful of bags in one hand and clinging to a small child with the other. Ever the gentleman Kyle quickly held the door open earning him an adoring look from the woman; he let her past then shot in. Naomi had her back to him, she was browsing the dresses again, Kyle licked his lips feeling nervous about striking up a I-met-you-here-by-chance conversation in the middle of a ladies boutique.

"Naomi?" Kyle said and she looked around, her face was blank for a moment then she smiled friendlily.

"Kyle, hi," she said, surprise evident in her voice, "what's happening?"

"Ah you know," he shrugged, "same shit -"

"Different day," she finished and plucked three dresses from the rack, "ain't that the truth? How come you're in here?"

"Saw you. Thought I'd say hello," Kyle shrugged.

"Aww, that's nice," she said casually, walking around the counter. Kyle sensed a certain note of cynicism in her tone as if she didn't believe he had come in just to say hello to her.

"You work here?" he asked and Naomi nodded as she wrapped the dresses in the stuff they put your clothes in at the dry cleaners.

"Yeah, this is my aunt's store."

"Bride's your aunt?" Kyle asked with surprise and Naomi frowned curiously at him.

"You know Bride?"

"Well, more her husband then her, but yeah, she's a nice lady."

Naomi smiled widely and nodded in agreement, "yeah, she is. And she's technically not my aunt, her brother is my brother-in-law but we get confused trying to tell people that so we settle for aunt. Though I think she would prefer cousin. It sounds younger."

Kyle smiled but wondered whether Naomi knew what Vane really was.

"So why aren't you studying today?" Naomi said after a pause, her eyes fixed on what she was wrapping and hanging up.

"Couldn't be bothered," Kyle said, not feeling at all irritated when someone who actually attended college with him asked the question.

"I know what you mean," Naomi agreed, sounding half exasperated half amused, "I'd rather watch paint dry then read that article about the use of Plato in Ancient Greek civilisations or whatever it was."

"Yeah, have you seen how many pages it is? And the font is tiny!"

Naomi laughed, "I know!"

"Naomi?"

Naomi held a finger up to Kyle letting him know she would be a minute, Kyle nodded and hitched himself up on the counter while she walked to the back door and lean her head in.

"Yeah?"

"I meant to say can you rearrange the display under the counter, you know you're always good at that sort of thing!"

"Okay!"

Naomi walked back and gave Kyle a firm push on the small of his back, he laughed as he hopped off but felt an unfamiliar thrill at being touched by a girl; he'd never gotten that feeling before. Naomi got on her knees and unlocked the glass display case under the cash register, and began to gently remove all the delicate little womanly things that were in there. Kyle knelt down so he was looking at Naomi through the glass and tapped on it, she looked up and smiled.

"Travis knows you work here?" Kyle asked and Naomi looked puzzled, she shook her head.

"Why would he?"

"You two seem pretty close …"

"Not really," Naomi said with indifference as she swept the dust from the glass with a cloth, "he's a good guy though."

"That's true; I'm surprised he doesn't have more luck with the ladies."

Naomi stopped dusting and pinned Kyle with a gimlet stare, "did he send you here?"

"Who?" Kyle said nonplussed.

"Travis. Did Travis send you here to ask me out or something?"

Kyle laughed, "we're not ten, you know!"

Naomi's mouth softened, "hard to tell with guys sometimes."

Kyle made a face at her, "and no, by the way, he didn't. He just mentioned you the other day I class, said you helped him out quite a bit."

"Hmm …" Naomi muttered and Kyle hitched himself up on the glass case once more, they both heard it creak and Naomi quickly whipped her head and hand from it.

"If that glass caves in on me I will seriously hurt you!" she warned, Kyle looked at her over his shoulder with a mischievous grin.

"I doubt it, not if I land on your head."

Naomi laughed and swiped at him playfully then began to reset the cabinet, Kyle's heart picked up a beat faster then was normal and he licked his lips.

"What're you doing tonight?" he said as casually as possible.

"Rollerblading with Keanu Reeves," she replied wistfully and Kyle huffed out a laugh.

"That's cool; perhaps you and your not-very-attractive date can double up with me and Megan Fox?"

"I doubt it he wants me all to himself," she retorted in a sing song voice. Kyle laughed and leant back so he could see her, "What are you doing tonight?" he repeated, feeling like he had been alone in a playground and suddenly found a best friend.

Naomi paused and looked up at him her face showed a split second of confusion before she covered it by saying rather flippantly, "very fresh, Kyle. I wonder what other indecent proposals you have for me."

"Come to Sanctuary. I'll teach you to play pool," Kyle offered. Naomi laughed but pretended to be offended.

"I'll have you know I am very good at playing pool!"

"Yeah, but you're a girl," Kyle said dismissively, knowing it would aggravate her, she tried to hit him again but he dodged and laughed.

"I'm sorry, I was joking. C'mon, come tonight and we'll pretend to talk about ancient Greeks and Plato and whatever else."

"Sure why not," Naomi said, "then I can beat you at pool."

Kyle was about to retort when the door opened and in walked Fang and Aimee, Kyle was just as surprised to see them as they were to see him.

"Hi," he said automatically, he turned to Naomi so she didn't think he was just greeting customers, "she's my sister."

"I swear you know everyone, boy!" Kyle gave her a lopsided grin that made her stomach flutter.

"What are you doing here?" Aimee said as she came forward to hug him.

"Run into a friend," Kyle explained simply and saw Aimee and Fang raise their eyebrows; he gave them a stern look that told them not to embarrass him. They took the hint and after introducing themselves they went out back to find Vane.

"Your sister is beautiful," Naomi said; with something like envy in her voice, Kyle nodded.

"She looks like my mother," he said simply, quietly.

"Your mother must be stunning," Naomi said still eyeing the door where Aimee had gone out back.

"She was," Kyle commented and Naomi whipped her head round, she locked eyes with him and his meaning was made clear. Her own eyes grew shadowed with genuine sadness for him that he could feel, coupled with awkwardness because she didn't know what to say. No one ever did, it's why Kyle never told people but he wanted Naomi to know.

"I'm sorry, Kyle," she said softly and Kyle gave a one shoulder shrug that was meant to say 'hey, shit happens'. Naomi opened her mouth to ask something but thought better of it and her natural kindness had her giving his forearm a tight, friendly squeeze.

"What time should I come around to beat your ass at pool?" she said, trying to clear the grief from his face, Kyle smiled at her, glad to get the conversation back to something normal. Though she hadn't removed her hand from his arm, Kyle noted with a happy thrill.

"Seven?" he suggested and Naomi nodded.

Suddenly the bell above the door tinkled and they both looked up, with a jolt of surprise Kyle saw Stephanie walk through the door with Andrea and another girl, who Kyle knew was called Marlene. He knew because she too had come on to him many times. Kyle sensed Naomi's dismay and felt her snatch her hand away, but Stephanie's eyes had caught it there and narrowed on them.

"Hey Kyle," she purred and stalked over to him. It was one of the things that turned Kyle off of her in the first place, her overt sexuality threatened him and made the bear in him want to growl and warn her off.

"Can I help any of you?" Naomi said in a cheery, professional way, Andrea and Marlene both shook their heads and kept browsing, Stephanie said nothing but kept her eyes fixed on Kyle, she had a peculiar smile on her face as if they shared a private joke between them. If Kyle was supposed to know what it was she'd have to explain it to him because he was truly lost at sea. Naomi went about her business but the easy way with which they had chatted before was broken, Kyle knocked on the glass and she looked up from where she knelt, arranging rings and necklaces.

"See you later?" he asked hopefully and Naomi nodded with a small smile, Stephanie's pretty mouth tightened, but her smile flashed into place when Kyle nodded goodbye to her.


	2. Chapter 2

Naomi had been tying herself in knots all day, she really wanted to hang out with Kyle at Sanctuary but she had a feeling something disastrous would happen. Something like Kyle had just been joking and hadn't really meant it, at one point as she was getting changed Naomi had considered just staying in and making an excuse next time she saw him at college. But a bigger, perhaps slightly braver part of her thought of how he'd told her of his mother dying - that stuff wasn't common knowledge in their classes so Naomi deduced she must be one of the few who knew. Should he have lied about something so tragic Naomi knew she would never speak to him again but she'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

Kyle leant against the bar, the Howler's were setting up, Remi was guarding the door to the house, Dev was behind the bar with Aimee and Fang and Zar was being bouncer tonight. Everything was just as it was when his mother and father were alive but Kyle knew that all the Peltier's felt their absence as if it were a knife in all their hearts. He flicked his eyes towards the clock and then to the door, his breath whooshed out in relief as Naomi came walking through looking a little nervous but pretty and happy. She wore jeans with tan boots underneath, over a white t-shirt she wore a tanned leather jacket and around her waist, purely for decoration it would seem, was a brown belt with a big buckle - Kyle's lips quirked at the irony, she had a bears head on it. Her hair was tied back from her face in a ponytail and in her ears she wore small, teardrop earrings. Kyle felt his palms go sweaty but he smiled casually as she approached.

"Hello gorgeous," he said in a rather good Irish accent, Naomi beamed at him, silent laughter roaring in her eyes.

"Hello charmin'," she responded with an even better imitation, Kyle laughed.

"You're good."

"My family are Irish," she explained and Kyle gasped.

"With a name like Riley, no way!"

Naomi punched him lightly on the arm, "smart ass!"

"C'mon, let's get playing before you hit me again."

Without a thought Kyle laid his hand on the small of her back and guided her over to the pool table, he felt that thrill that he was becoming familiar with shoot up his arm and he smiled at her, looking more handsome then ever as he flicked his hair out of his eyes with a jerk of the head.

Dev stood watching from the bar area, his mouth hanging open, Aimee came up behind him and took the glass from his hand in case he dropped it.

"Are you seeing this?" Dev asked Aimee, Aimee looked to where Kyle was and smirked.

"Yeah, she works in Bride's store," Aimee said and then added with a wicked laugh, "he was in there with her today."

"But …but …"

"But?"

"Isn't he a bit young?" Aimee burst out laughing and shook her head.

"Don't you think that's a bit rich coming from you?"

Dev threw her a filthy look, "you're so funny."

"Besides Kyle's Arcadian, he may mature faster then Katagaria cubs that have just come out of puberty."

"Damn, maybe we should tell him to keep it in his pants for a while. What if -"

"Don't interfere, Dev," Aimee warned sternly, "we're all left to make our own destinies. It was my right, your right and now its Kyle's right. I think everyone knows when they have found the one. Like Mama said, it's a feeling you only get around one person."

"True, but this could be very awkward if he gets too happy with her," Dev raised his eyebrows knowingly, Aimee shook her head and moved away from him leaving Dev to stare at the couple with a frown on his mouth.

* * *

Kyle waited in the empty lecture theatre; he kept flicking glances to the door even though he was trying to act casual. He took out his phone and looked at it, biting his lip. He and Naomi had swapped numbers and all weekend they had been sending texts to each other, he thought it would be a bit too much if he text to ask her if she was in college yet. Unexpectedly the door opened and Naomi poked her head through the door, Kyle breathed a sigh of relief and gave her a wave to get her notice, she moved into the seat in front of him.

"Hey you," she said gently, her happiness at seeing him just as evident as his was at seeing her.

"Hey you," he repeated, "I completely forgot my notes today."

"You can use mine if you like," Naomi offered, "I'll use my friend's notes."

"Cool, get your friends to sit up here today," Kyle said, "by the way have you got anything after this?"

Naomi shook her head, "nope. Monday morning is my only lecture for the day. Thank God!"

Kyle smiled, "So are you going straight home or what?"

"I usually do. All my friends have other classes to go to, so I head home."

"Same here."

The lecture hall soon filled, Naomi's friends filed into the row in front of Kyle, she introduced them briefly before Professor Alexander came in. Travis as usual forced his way into the seat beside Kyle and greeted him in his usual way. Seeing Naomi in front of him Travis smiled and leant forward to yank lightly on her hair, Naomi turned and smiled at him, Kyle couldn't help feeling a small stab of jealousy.

"Hey girl," Travis greeted her, "you good?"

"Not bad. You?"

"You know, how it is."

"Yeah, I do."

Kyle noticed that Travis's whole attention was wrapped up in Naomi, when she spoke he stopped to listen. He laughed with her in a way he did not laugh with other girls, teased her the same way Kyle teased her. Kyle felt his mouth go a little dry, his were-hunter senses picked up the sent of Travis's desire for her and it made him want to rip his friend's throat out. He felt the need to stake his claim and it had his heart pounding wildly, what was happening to him?

The hall went silent when Professor Julian Alexander walked in and set about hooking the overhead projector up for his slideshow. Kyle took the opportunity while Travis was sitting quietly to pass a note to Naomi. He aimed it over her shoulder so it landed right in the crease of her book. Travis noticed what Kyle had done and his eyes narrowed, so did Stephanie but Kyle refused to look at either of them. If it wasn't for that fact that Kyle could smell how much Travis desired Naomi he would still be ignorant of the guy's feelings towards her. Travis had said that he had no designs on her, Kyle reminded himself of that as he tried to make himself feel better about pursuing Naomi. He'd decided in all of two minutes while Travis had had her attention that that was what he was doing. Pursuing her. As new as the feelings of attraction and desire were to him, he recognised that he wanted her to himself. Naomi looked at the note.

_Wanna get some lunch with me?_

She glanced back at Kyle with a smile, he sensed her pleasure and his whole body reacted to it, she nodded and turned back to listen to Julian. Halfway through the lecture Professor Alexander gave them a ten minute break, Travis immediately got up and said he was going for a smoke, Phillip and Andrea went for coffee. Naomi turned to face Kyle, they both ignored the pointed stares and smiles from her friends, they both started to speak at the same time.

"Where shall we -?"

"Where do you want to -?"

They laughed and Naomi threw his note back at him, she turned around when her friend tapped her on the arm. Stephanie had watched the exchange with a livid face and when Naomi turned around she slipped up the row to Travis's seat.

"You and her seem close," she commented, her eyes giving Naomi's head a scathing look, Kyle knew that Stephanie was not taking care to keep her voice down. Kyle didn't say anything and Stephanie shrugged looking coy.

"She just …" her voice trailed off.

"She just what?" Kyle whispered.

"She just doesn't seem your type," Stephanie said simply, still staring at Naomi's head as if trying to bore a hole through it.

"How would you know my type," Kyle responded sharply, giving Stephanie a warning look. They had never really been friends, they were just in the same crowd and were just friendly by association, Stephanie shrugged with a fairly malicious smile.

"I know it ain't her," she said, and Kyle watched Naomi stiffen slightly, he knew she'd heard and his stomach clenched worriedly. "Was it a bet?"

"Excuse me?" Kyle spat, knowing for her own safety Stephanie needed to remove herself from his presence.

"Or a dare?" Stephanie continued with a small giggle, "You lost a bet and this is what you have to _do_?"

She put lewd emphasis on the word 'do' and Kyle watched as the back of Naomi's neck began to grow scarlet. Kyle turned his head very slightly and moved his lips so discreetly that it was almost imperceptible but what he said was very clear.

"If you don't get the hell away from me I will break your fucking neck!" he growled, sounding like the bear that shared his soul. Stephanie blinked in surprise and a muscle jumped in her soft cheek betraying her fear.

"It was just a joke," she murmured before slipping further up the row, she studiously avoided Kyle's eye for the rest of the lesson and, mores the pity so did Naomi. Travis on the other hand came back after his smoke and apart from being more focused on his work then usual didn't seem very different.

At the lectures end after they'd quickly scribbled down the reading they were asked to do and shoved their books and laptops away, Kyle stood up and said nothing but kept a close eye on Naomi. Stephanie left the lecture hall with Phillip and Andrea, Andrea and Stephanie looked like Siamese twins where they were bent so close together. No doubt talking about him and his threat, Kyle thought biting the skin of his lip, he wondered whether he'd been a bit over zealous with his warning. He waited for Naomi at the end of the row and they walked out of the lecture hall, they didn't bother to talk because it was so loud in the corridor beyond, but Naomi kept throwing him shy, happy smiles that made Kyle's stomach do a pleasurable but at the same time uncomfortable squirm.

"Wanna grab a burger on the go? Or sit and eat?" Kyle asked, Naomi turned to him shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight. The guy never failed to take her breath away, his dark blonde hair that was naturally sun streaked with lighter shades fell accidentally into his eyes and it took a flick of the head to get it out. He had strong forearms that were tanned and blanketed with golden hair hanging gracefully out of the sleeves of his Abercrombie and Fitch sweater. Over on broad shoulder he carried his black rucksack and in his hand a textbook. Naomi wanted to blush. She was forever aware that her clothes were old or second hand and that her mother had cut her hair for her instead of the salon. She saw that her bag wasn't the huge, fashionable carrier kind that all the girls had nowadays, but a serious, leather satchel that although in excellent condition she'd still had since her last year at high school.

"Why don't we grab a burger and sit and eat that?" She suggested, Kyle waited for the smile which was quick to come and nodded, fascinated by her perfectly straight, wonderfully white smile, that showed a faint dimple in one cheek.

"A compromise," he said nodding, then added in a heavily, drawling southern accent, "sounds good to me, Miss Scarlet."

"Why, Cap' in Butler, you are so kind," Naomi played along perfectly, loving that he got her humour down to pat.

"Gotta love Gone with the Wind, right?" Kyle chuckled and Naomi scoffed.

"If you say so, personally I'd rather pull teeth then watch it."

"Without anesthetic," Kyle added and they laughed together, Kyle swapped his textbook to his other hand and let his liberated one swing free. As he hoped their knuckles brushed and a pleasurable zing of heat rushed into his lower abdomen. They walked past a guy who had a large tattoo of a scene from the Godfather on his bicep.

"I like the third one best," they both said at the same time, Kyle let his fingers twine with Naomi's,

feeling complete now her hand was in he's.

* * *

Kyle leaned against the hood of his car with his arms crossed across his broad chest; he was eyeing the corner at the end of the street apprehensively. He'd told Naomi that he wanted to introduce her to some of his friends that didn't go to their college; he'd told her that he'd pick her up at eight but she had declined. So as she asked he was waiting for her a few blocks over from Bride's store as their official meeting place, Kyle had posed going out casually but he'd wanted it to be a date in everything but name, but meeting like this lessened the romance he'd been planning to create. Abruptly she came strolling into view and Kyle let his breath out slowly through his mouth that fell open in appreciation, he raised his hand in greeting and waited until she was close to him before speaking, he took a deep breath.

"Hi," was all he said and he felt a little stupid, Naomi laughed nervously and returned the greeting.

"Hi," she said, trying to discreetly pull up the dipping cleavage of the black dress she'd loaned from Bride's store, Kyle saw this and his eyes flared.

"I hope I'm not too underdressed or anything, but I wasn't sure what to wear and since you refused to tell me …" she gave him a mock glare and he laughed.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, instead of saying something humorous and flip as he had planned. Naomi blushed and Kyle knew it was time to get going because his emotions, like that of an over-sexed teenager, were running amok inside him. They got into the car and Kyle started the engine, he looked across to Naomi who was running her hands over the creamy, leather seats.

"Who's wheels have you stolen for the night?" she said turning her eyes on him, Kyle cleared his throat, trying to pretend he hadn't felt warm tingles at the sight of her hands caressing his car.

"Nobody's," Kyle assured her and saw her eyes widen slightly, "its mine."

"Wow," was her only response as she sat back to enjoy the ride.

Kyle wound down the window and tried to suck in as much fresh air as he could, something utterly unfamiliar was happening to him. Every time the car stopped or he took his eyes from the windscreen, he found them drawn to Naomi's cleavage, or the smooth skin of her legs, just behind her knee. Kyle had never had the capacity to be attracted to a woman before, now he felt like the ultimate sleaze, perving on her as she gazed out of the window.

Kyle pulled up outside club Vampyre and got out, he watched Naomi's eyes widen at the sight of the club's sign, fangs dripping with blood. Kyle knew the current movie and literary markets fascination with vampires and werewolves and used it to maximise the profit he would have taken when he entered partnership with the Charontes. Naomi stepped up beside him and he sensed her nerves, Kyle slipped his arm lightly around her shoulders, staying the polite gentleman, even though what he really wanted to do was hold her to him by the waist. He led them straight to the door where the bouncer asked no questions, simply unhooked the red rope barring their entrance and nodded to Kyle as they passed him.

"You must know these people very well," Naomi murmured to him.

"I do," he replied and pushed her in front of him so that he had her back covered possessiveness flaring to life inside him. With his warm hands on her bare shoulders, he guided her towards the V.I.P section up the stairs and to the back, to a comfortable room overlooking the dance floor. The Charonte that led them into the room shook hands with Kyle and exchanged a polite greeting before turning to her and bowing, Naomi bit her lip and tried not to laugh at the chivalric, old world gesture. He then opened the door and snapped his fingers, another Charonte came in holding champagne and glasses, he popped the cork, poured the alcohol and placed it neatly in an ice bucket then left with the first Charonte. Kyle picked up both glasses and handed one to Naomi, she took it and after a beat of silence squealed and rushed to the glass to look down at the dance floor.

"Oh my God! Kyle!" she laughed, turning around and taking the room in, Kyle sipped his champagne and watched her with a smile. "This is amazing!"

"Thank you." A deep voice said from behind her, Naomi looked over her shoulder at a handsome man in his late twenties, he was lean with dark hair, he looked to Kyle who came forward and they shook hands like old friends.

"Naomi, this is Xedix, the owner of the club. Xed, this is Naomi Riley, a good friend of mine."

Xedix bowed low, "it is a privilege to have you here, my lady," he said seriously and Naomi found herself blushing.

"Thank you, very much. You own a wonderful place here," she said, remembering that her mama always told her to compliment people, the serious man's mouth twitched into a kindly half-smile.

"Part own," he corrected, "but thank you anyway. It was Kyle's baby as much as mine, he thought out the structure and design of the place."

Naomi frowned before turning disbelieving eyes on Kyle whose cheeks glowed scarlet, even in her shock Naomi noted how sexy it was.

"You own half of this place?"

Kyle shrugged half heartedly then changed the subject, turning to Xedix he asked "how's Kerryna?"

"She's well, a little tired but it's to be expected. I try to get her to lie down and to eat more but she doesn't."

Naomi wondered who he was talking about; surely he would not talk about his pet with such love in his voice?

"Xedix's wife is pregnant with their first child," Kyle explained and Naomi's smile was bright enough to have Xedix's serious face softening.

"That's wonderful, congratulations!" she cried, "do you know if it's a girl or boy yet?"

"I believe it's a girl," Xedix replied, trying hard to stop himself smiling with joy.

"What will you name her? Or haven't you decided?"

"I want her named after her mother but she wants to give the child a female variation of my name."

Naomi smiled and nodded politely but inside cringed with sympathy for the poor child, Kyle must have gathered what she was thinking because he snorted into his champagne.

"I'll leave you to your evening," Xedix said suddenly, "I might be back later, and bring Kerryna if she feels up to it."

Xedix left and once again Naomi and Kyle were alone together, they sat on the comfy couch like seats and sipped their drinks. Kyle kept flicking looks towards Naomi's quiet face; he put down his glass and turned so he was angled towards her.

"I wish you would have let me pick you up tonight," Kyle said, "I was worried about you walking around so late. Especially looking like that."

Naomi immediately looked down to see if she was showing too much chest area, Kyle laughed and Naomi swatted him.

"That's okay, my mama would only have invited you in and made us late," she sighed, sipping her drink.

"I'd like to meet your mom," he said lightly and Naomi laughed, suddenly she stood up and grabbed his hand, pulling him up.

"C'mon lets go downstairs and mingle by the bar," she said excitedly, Kyle blanched.

"I'm not dancing!" he said firmly, immediately, Naomi snorted.

"Oh hell no, neither am I. But we might as well go down with all the worthless plebs instead of staying up here like a king and queen."

Kyle chuckled and they descended to the main part of the club, where it was noisy and rambunctious, they pushed their way to the bar. Kyle was entranced by the way Naomi seemed to glow amongst the dim crowd, though other females in the club had sexier dresses, and the rocks on their hands were expensive for Kyle they barely registered. Unconsciously he fitted himself at her back so he was pressed against her where she sat on her bar stool, Naomi didn't seem to notice and if she did she wasn't outwardly reacting to it. Soon they were chatting to young couples at the bar, the drink flowed faster and the laughing became louder. During the course of the night Kyle went to the bathroom and Naomi looked over her shoulder to see him stopped every few seconds by people wishing to speak to him. The night had been exciting and fun yet she could not shake the feeling of inadequacy, the way the women eyed him as his made his way back to her, as if he were made of chocolate. He came back to her side and put his arm around her shoulders, had she have been used to alcohol she would have blushed, as it was that one glass of champagne had put her head into a bit of a spin and Naomi made a contented noise and leant back against him, her eyes looking sleepy as she stared at him.

"Shall we go?" Kyle asked, leaning closer, pretending he could not hear her over the music, Naomi inhaled his scent and nodded, her hair whispering against his neck. Kyle held her hand as he guided her to the door, he nodded his goodbyes to a few people and suddenly they were out in the cold early morning air. Naomi shivered and found the change in atmosphere made her feel slightly drunker then she thought.

"How was it?" Kyle said when he joined her in the car and Naomi smiled sleepily at him, she raised her hand and moved his hair from his eyes with delicate fingers.

"It was nice," Naomi said and Kyle raised an eyebrow.

"But?"

"I felt very out of place," Naomi murmured, and she twisted in the seat so she was facing him but laying her head on the seat.

"Out of place?" Kyle repeated, glancing at her.

"Yeah, I mean, you're so popular and …"

"And?"

"Well, rich. We're so different," Naomi yawned; Kyle felt his body go a little cold.

"Different," he repeated again, he glanced at her and she was staring at him, "how?"

"You're a beautiful, exclusive diamond and next to you I feel like rhinestone. I glisten next to your shine."

"I don't know exactly how I can respond to that," Kyle said, he licked his lips, "but … for me you are the one that shines."

Naomi laughed suddenly and leaned forward so she could hold his hand, Kyle drove back to where they had met earlier in the night but did not stop.

"Where do you live?" he asked and Naomi suddenly sat up.

"Its fine," she said quickly, "you can let me out here."

"No, I'm not letting you walk the streets -" Kyle began seriously, but Naomi leant in as fast as lightening and given him a peck on the cheek, she cried a quick goodnight and was out of the car. Kyle felt the warmth from where her lips had been fade and he started the engine, preparing to follow her at a good distance. He did so, for far longer then he liked when thinking about her walking seemingly alone in the early hours of the morning. She came to a house, it was small and simple looking from the outside, if not a little shabby, but the yard was tidy and the curtains and windows were immaculate. Kyle felt an uncomfortable niggling at his chest, surely she wouldn't risk being raped and murdered on a New Orleans street because she was ashamed of her home? Naomi was smarter then that. But then his father's voice floated through his mind, just because _someone is smart doesn't mean they can't act stupid …._

Especially when there was pride involved, and Naomi had a stiff necked pride in her that Kyle had noted and respected in her, he just hadn't realised it ran so deep. He waited for her to get in the house and lock up, then he went home.


	3. Chapter 3

Kyle stood staring at the door of the lecture hall, "what the hell?" he groaned and took out his phone, why did this always happen to him?

He scrolled through the list of names forgetting Travis's number and Phillip's, he rang Naomi instead.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me," Kyle said, "the lecture is cancelled today, in case you didn't know?"

"Oh, that's okay, I knew," Naomi said brightly there was a pause and when she spoke next she sounded as if she were trying not to laugh, "Kyle, did you go all the way in this morning to find it cancelled?"

"I'm standing outside the door," he admitted reluctantly but smiled when he heard her chuckle down the phone, "why does this always happen to me?"

"Because you never check your student e-mail," Naomi responded immediately, "Apparently Professor Alexander's wife has gone into labour."

"Again," Kyle groused, he leant against the door with a sigh, "what are you doing for the rest of the day?"

"If I said studying, would you believe me?" Naomi's voice teased, Kyle licked his lips.

"Absolutely not," he responded casually, "Want me to come over later and hang?"

"Aww, a guy's night in, huh?"

Kyle chuckled at her; she had a great sense of humour."Yeah, we can watch bad action movies together … scratch some balls, have farting competitions -"

"Burp the alphabet?" Naomi suggested, laughing hard.

"Exactly!"

"Ah, I'd love to but Bride and Vane have roped me in as babysitter tonight at their house why they double date with his brothers and their wives."

Kyle almost pouted.

"Unless you want to come too, and I'll just tell Bride?" Kyle thought he detected a hint of hope in her voice and felt his spirits rise once more.

"Cool, but I am not changing any diapers!" he said sternly, Naomi laughed and promised she wouldn't make him do anything gross, they said their goodbyes and Naomi hung up. Kyle looked up and saw Travis walking towards him, Kyle raised his hand in greeting but Travis didn't acknowledge him. Instead he stopped at the door, checked out the sign saying the class was cancelled and turned to walk away. Kyle frowned then jogged to catch up with him, he sensed, as he fell into pace beside Travis, that the guy was seething.

"Have I done something to piss you off?" Kyle asked, checking the storm clouds that were growing gradually darker on the guy's face.

"Why would you think that?" Travis said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Look, stop with the bullshit," Kyle said, taking Travis's arm and pulling him to a stop, Travis looked at him coldly. "What did I do?"

"Like you don't know!" Travis spat, he looked livid as his eyes swung away from Kyle's then locked with them again, filled with absolute bitter anger, "her!"

"Naomi," Kyle murmured, deep down knowing that was what it was. "You said you weren't interested in her."

Travis snarled disgustedly and tried to walk off but Kyle pulled him to a stop, "you said it!" Kyle insisted, "you said she was just a friend!"

"Oh, you knew!" Travis yelled at him, Kyle felt his face redden partially out of embarrassment because it was the truth and partially out of anger. "You knew I was feeling her and you had to take her for yourself!"

"She's not a damned toy that you own, Travis!" Kyle yelled back, "she's a person! I didn't take her anywhere, she … me and her … we're friends."

Kyle finished lamely and he blushed deeper.

The bear side of Kyle was geared up for a fight, possession and protective animal instincts were alive in him, demanding he mark his territory and make it clear that Naomi was with him. The human part was sad that he and Travis, who he was extremely fond of, were fighting. He also felt guilty because Travis had been right when he accused him of knowing that Travis had liked Naomi. It also knew that friends shouldn't really do this to each other and should he want to salvage the friendship between them, Kyle would have to promise to go nowhere near Naomi again. But he couldn't, it was the one very real thing that the bear and human sides of him harmonised on, that they refused to go anywhere without Naomi.

"We're not even going out with each other," Kyle said, Travis swung his fist and Kyle sidestepped with ease, he caught Travis by his arm and twisted it up his back.

"I don't want to hurt you, Travis!" Kyle hissed at him, "so don't do that again!"

"Oh, you're going to break my neck, like Stephanie, huh?" Travis spat back and Kyle regretted ever saying that to her. Kyle threw Travis from him and backed up, picking up his fallen books.

"Do you want to be thrown out of the college for this?" Kyle snapped at him when Travis would have tried to step up to him again. Travis paused and shook his head dejectedly, "you're not just friends."

Kyle raised his chin, "we're not going out with each other," not tacking on the 'yet' he'd thought. Travis apparently heard it too for he sneered again but looked awfully hurt, Kyle felt his stomach clench with guilt, he truly hadn't known that Travis liked Naomi as much as he did. But Travis didn't seem to have any idea how much Kyle liked her either.

"But you're going to, aren't you?" Travis said and Kyle didn't look at him, Kyle blew out a breath.

"I truly didn't know how much you liked her, Travis," Kyle said sincerely, "I like to think if I had known I would never have tried to get to know her like that. I'm not like that, Travis; I'm not that kind of bastard."

Travis groaned and sat down on a nearby stone bench, "I know you're not."

Travis seemed calmer now and Kyle risked coming closer, when Travis didn't react he took a tentative seat next to his friend.

"You never, ever looked at girls," Travis said, piercing him with a irritated stare, "you know that? I watched you all the time and you never once were interested in any of the girls around us. Phillip thought you were gay," he added and watched Kyle frown.

"But then he thinks every guy that doesn't go berserk over a pair of tits is queer, so …" Travis continued matter of factly. "I knew you weren't … could just tell, you know. But of all the girls you could have picked … it had to be her."

Travis laughed mirthlessly and shrugged, "ah, she was too good for me anyway."

"She'd hit you if she heard you saying that," Kyle commented, knowing Naomi well enough to be certain of her belief that she wasn't too good for anyone.

"That's exactly why she's too good for me," Travis replied in a whisper, then added more firmly, "and you."

Kyle laughed and nodded, there was a heart beat of silence, "sorry about this, Travis."

Travis made a sound of embarrassment, "don't! You make me feel like a total asshole. I'm surprised I'm not in hospital with broken ribs right now."

Kyle looked up in surprise and Travis raised knowing eyebrows, "I saw you fight once, you looked like a fucking bear the way you picked that guy up."

Kyle laughed at the irony, "he was being rude."

They sat in silence for a while and Travis put his head in his hands and groaned, Kyle stared at him.

"What?"

"I can't believe I just picked a fight over a girl!" he moaned into his hands and Kyle laughed.

"I was thinking the same thing."

"To the grave?" Travis asked, looking through his fingers, Kyle clapped him on the back.

"To the grave."

* * *

Kyle tapped on the door of Vane's house and waited, Bride answered with a kind smile and a friendly greeting, then ushered him inside leading him through to the kitchen. Fury was there looking very itchy in a tux but immediately calmed when his mate ran her hand up his arm, Bride disappeared no doubt to check on the baby and Vane was talking to Fang and Aimee. Kyle watched it all for a moment, recognising that his sister had mated into one very tight knit pack. Aimee spotted her brother over Vane's shoulder and came forward with a happy smile to hug him; she kissed his cheek and pulled him further into the crowd.

"Aw, he's so sweet, going to baby sit," Fang laughed evilly, letting Kyle know that he and Aimee must have talked at length about Kyle's motives for baby sitting, Kyle flipped him off. Bride came back in to the kitchen talking to Naomi and every Were in the room was aware of Kyle's immediate reaction to her, he's entire being focused completely on her. Fury and Fang raised an eyebrow and exchanged a wicked smirk. Naomi wore her pretty, short hair drawn back from her face by a clip and she wore no earrings and very light make-up. She was in black, baggy, Nike sweatpants the white toes of her sneakers peeking out from the bottom. But what had Kyle fascinated was the white belly top, and her long expanse of slightly tanned stomach and twinkling there was a diamond belly ring. Kyle felt his mouth go dry and try as he might he couldn't bring his eyes away from there.

"We've left our number by the phone just in case, okay," Bride was saying to her, Naomi nodded, "and just make yourself at home."

"Okay," Naomi responded and gave Bride a quick kiss on the cheek before they all turned to leave, Vane turned at the door, just as Kyle was about to walk towards her.

"Our bed is out of bounds!" he shouted back to them, "if you really have to, try Fury and Angelia's."

Kyle was happy when he heard Vane yelp then looked back at Naomi who blushed but was laughing.

"Don't mind him, he's always been a little strange," she explained and led him through to the living room, Kyle whistled, he'd never been in Vane's house before.

"Nice," he said.

"I know, I love their house. It's why I always offer to baby sit."

Kyle sat on the sofa and watched as Naomi reached into a cabinet for something, she threw something at him and Kyle caught it with one hand, he looked down at the cover of Lethal Weapon.

"Trashy action movies," she explained, "as promised."

"Ah, the guy's night," Kyle said and laughed, he looked up at Naomi with a twinkle in his eye, "if you want to have a girl's night, I'm all for pillow fights in my underwear."

Naomi laughed at him, "you know that's just a myth, right?"

"You're killing me," Kyle made out to faint and opened an eye when she had dumped more DVDs in his lap. "No Die Hard!" Kyle was appalled.

"Yippee Ki Ya, motherfucker!" Naomi said and grinned at Kyle who laughed. "This is Vane's collection, and he is seriously lacking."

She held up Demolition Man and Lethal Weapon, Kyle debated then pointed to Demolition Man.

"Let's give Stallone the first spot. Hail John Spartan!"

"I only watch this for Wesley Snipes," Naomi murmured then jumped on the couch, moving into the crook of Kyle's arm.

As the movie began to play Kyle tried to get himself to breathe properly but Naomi was pressed up against his side, he stared at her hair.

An hour of the film had gone past and Kyle had barely taken in five minutes worth of it, he was still soaking up the feeling of Naomi. The bare skin of her side was pressed to his shirt and he could feel its warmth, her hair was so soft looking and strands were being pulled free of the clip when she moved her head, which was pillowed on his shoulder.

_Just do it!_

Kyle felt pulses flying through his fingers.

_Go on, she won't mind!_

Kyle moved his hand to casually scratch at his own hair.

_Just do it!_

Kyle moved his hand down slowly and stroked a thick strand of dark hair near her forehead; he used his forefinger and thumb to repeatedly stroke it and when he was brave enough to take his eyes from the television screen Naomi looked away also and their eyes met.

"That feels nice," she muttered, Kyle stared at her lips, knowing what he wanted to do, wishing he'd done it before. He didn't want to embarrass himself and he felt anticipation begin to shake his limbs. Naomi made the first move, she moved her body so she was more up right and leaned into him, Kyle licked his lips and prayed fiercely in his head that he wouldn't humiliate himself. Naomi laid her lips on his and sucked at his upper lip gently, making a small sucking noise before pulling back just a little. The warm pleasurable zing that Kyle felt when Naomi touched him exploded and Kyle drove back in for another kiss before he could stop himself. He caught Naomi's lips firmly with his own, following Naomi's lips and the initiative in his own, Kyle could soon hear his own breathing mixed with Naomi's. He almost jumped out of his skin when Naomi slipped her tongue into his mouth and touched his own; he calmed himself down and allowed his own tongue to play with hers. When Kyle had the sense to remember his surroundings he found that the movie had finished. Kyle lifted his hand and ran it up the incredible softness of the nape of her neck, his fingers touched the silk of her hair and pressed her closer to him, until they were both laying back and Naomi was half on top of him. Without meaning to Kyle's hand found her hip and touched the heated skin of her stomach, he smiled when he felt her skin break out in goose bumps. His hand moved nowhere but her stomach, his thumb brushing insistently over her belly bar, he felt like he was almost straining against her, he needed something but he couldn't tell her what. Heat pooled low in his stomach and felt aching pleasure spurring him on, to push the kiss until he was once again forgetting his own name. Kyle broke the kiss only when to his horror the straining, aching feeling, the heat in his abdomen of need and desire had manifested itself in his first ever erection. It felt like a hard pole in his pants, rubbing painfully against his zipper, yet there was something also pleasurable about it. To his mortification Naomi looked down also to see the huge bulge in his pants, her mouth dropped open as if she were about to scream at him, their eyes met.

"I am so sorry," Kyle heard himself say, Naomi choked out a laugh and buried her blushing face in his chest, she mumbled something.

"What?"

"I said its okay," she said bringing her face from his shirt, she scratched her neck and seemed unable to daw her eyes away from the bulge. Kyle immediately sat up and leant his elbows on his knees, trying to cover the prominent new addition to his life with his t-shirt. He wanted to sink down to Hades and never return! Kyle had known because of his blossoming new feelings for Naomi that he was coming out of his puberty impotence and would soon very likely be throwing wood every time he saw a girl, he just hadn't banked on it being this soon. And not when he was with Naomi! Naomi sat quietly beside him, Kyle couldn't get up the courage to look at her, then it hit him, what must she think of him?

In human years Kyle was twenty-five; surely twenty-five year old humans didn't act like shy teenagers when they grew aroused. Naomi touched his arm and Kyle braced himself for her ridicule, their eyes met and Naomi moved his hair from his eyes, Kyle felt his groin twitch again.

"I really like you, Kyle, but I'd like to … wait a little while, if that's okay with you?"

Kyle wasn't sure if he'd heard correctly, he looked at her and saw her cheeks were aflame.

"That's really okay with me," Kyle said sincerely, relief flooding through him, all he could think of was getting home and asking Dev to tell him all he knew about sex. Kyle exhaled and stretched out his hand so he could rub his thumb over Naomi's red lips. "I'm ready to wait for as long as you like."

Naomi's eyes flared and Kyle sensed her desire that matched his own, they both wanted each other but refused to give in for entirely different reasons. One because he'd never done it before, and the other because she didn't want him to think her too easy.

"Can I still kiss you?" Kyle said suddenly and Naomi laughed hard, she covered her mouth and looked at the ceiling, she stood up. "I'm going to check on Trace. Gives you a chance to cool down."

She gave his crotch a pointed look and Kyle blushed covering himself with his hands, Kyle watched her leave the room and then lay back on the couch, stunned. He was so relieved that Naomi respected her body enough that she didn't want to sleep with him straight away, it gave him enough time to get used to the feeling of having a pool cue in his pocket. Kyle tried valiantly to make his body calm down and almost succeeded but then a creak of the floorboards had him thinking of Naomi upstairs, near a bed and all the things that could happen in a bed. And he was as hard as the chair leg again. Naomi came back downstairs, she stood at the door way looking a little worried and Kyle could tell she was nervous, he held out his hand to her and she came forward eagerly, Kyle pulled her down to the couch with him.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice a deep whisper, Naomi gave him an unconvincing nod and smile, "what's wrong?"

"Are you really okay with me … you know, not wanting to?" she sounded so unsure and so serious; it was not like her at all. Kyle raised her hand that he held and kissed it reverently on the back, he looked at her in the eyes so she could see he was being truthful.

"Naomi, I care about you a lot and I wouldn't want you to do something when you're not sure about it. I am happy to wait to be with you."

Naomi kissed him gratefully and stroked her hand down his cheek; Kyle laced his fingers through hers.

"Have you ever done it before?" he asked, hoping she was as virgin as he was.

"Once," she said almost apologetically and Kyle kissed her nice and slow, liking kissing a lot more then he imagined he would when he saw people doing it at Sanctuary.

"If it's any consolation I'm not that experienced either."

Naomi laughed quietly, "liar."

"I swear," he said and Naomi nodded, believing him.

"That's why all the girls want you, you know? Because they never really saw you with anyone, they thought it made you decent."

Kyle shrugged while his cheeks grew hot, Naomi leaned into him and his body accepted her presence immediately, allowing her to snuggle into his chest where the bear in him knew she was safe. Both of them pretended they didn't notice his erection and Kyle couldn't help feeling a bit of a fraud because the thoughts he was having about Naomi then were anything but decent.

* * *

Kyle rolled over in bed and stretched, he was in the early stages of waking, the last dregs of the confusion of sleep leaving him. He'd been dreaming about Naomi. From what he could remember they had been kissing on a couch that looked exactly like Bride and Vane's except they were in Kyle's bedroom. And Kyle had slipped down and began nibbling at her belly bar, she was writhing against the couch that had somehow elongated to a bed and he could see Naomi's hands gripping his sheets. While he nibbled Naomi asked him to do things he'd only ever heard of and she gripped his hair when he kissed her mouth again, she wore a white dress that was laced up at the breasts and Kyle remembered that he had been unlacing them with his teeth when he'd been awakened by a noise. Kyle rubbed his face into his pillow and tried to go back to sleep and coax the dream back into his mind, but he couldn't and his body felt alive. The heated feeling in his abdomen was back with a vengeance and thinking about Naomi had his hand itching to place it somewhere he'd only ever touched to take a piss. He shifted and felt sticky wetness covering his sheets and boxers, Kyle gulped praying to Artemis that he hadn't done something embarrassing like piss the bed. He threw the quilt back and saw that his erection was back, Kyle's eyes widened, it was huge. His teeth tugged at his bottom lip and wrinkled his nose; perhaps he should ask Dev if they were meant to be that big ….

No, he couldn't face the embarrassment.

Kyle pulled down his boxers and looked at himself in full arousal for the first time; he leant back against his pillows and flicked a look at the door. No one ever came in his room unannounced but there was always a first time. Damn, he'd never gotten a hard on before but it happened at exactly the wrong moment. Feeling like he was on the verge of something pivotal Kyle trailed his hand down his stomach to his hardness, he gripped it with a firm hand and stroked once. Kyle gasped at how wonderful it felt and did it again, sinking down low in his pillows; Kyle cocked up his knee and began to stroke in a gentle rhythm. Kyle's mind conjured up a vivid picture of Naomi lying upon a bed, she was naked - no she was naked except for black heels and stockings and she was - Kyle gasped and quickened his hand, biting back a moan he longed to let free. It happened quite fast, his hand was going rapidly and there was a building up inside of him, something was about to break. His cock jerked in his hand and a gush of warm seed spilled forth over his hand and stomach. Kyle stroked himself until he was spent and laid there panting for while, smiling and happy that he'd finally reached adulthood.

* * *

Dev watched Kyle and his girlfriend, Naomi, with narrowed eyes as they played pool in the back area of the bar. Apparently Julian Alexander hadn't been able to find anyone to cover his classes for a second Monday in a row. Dev was seriously considering having a word with the demi-god, how was his brother supposed to get an education stuck in the back of a bar? His father would not have liked it one bit and that was for sure. Aubert Peltier was a great advocate for the benefits of education; he believed whole heartedly that without it a man was lacking a vital part of himself. And that applied to were-hunters too.

They had all seen Kyle's talent for academics blossom at a young age, he was street wise and savvy coming from the family he did and Dev's Maman was fine with that, she did not believe that Kyle needed an education. To be schooled by humans that were younger then his brothers was in her mind utterly useless and inappropriate.

"Why get an education?" she asked stubbornly when Kyle had voiced his desire to go to school. "People educate themselves for a better job and to get rich. You already have a job and you come from a wealthy family. Where is the need?"

His father was of an entirely different opinion and instead of indulging his mate as he usually did, put his foot down and sent Kyle to school. Dev remembered them all sitting around his father as young men, it was back in the twenties and thirties when Sanctuary was a speakeasy, and a haunt for gangsters and bootleggers. Kyle hadn't even been born then.

"Never waste your talent, boys," Papa bear said to them seriously, "if you have something, cultivate it and care for it. Wasted talent is one of the worst sins a person can commit."

Dev had made it a personal mission since his father's death to drag Kyle, kicking and screaming if need be, through college with a first class degree. There were times when he truly hated how responsible he sounded when he nagged Kyle about study, before his parents died, Dev used tell their father to give Kyle a break and now he felt like he was channelling his spirit.

Colt came walking into Dev's line of vision but the bear did not take any notice, he simply leaned his head so he could keep Kyle and Miss Riley, Dev thought her name with rancour, in sight. Colt felt evil eyes being thrown his way so he looked up from fiddling with the callous on his thumb, courtesy of playing a guitar for his living. He looked warily at Dev, wondering what he had done for Dev to look so pissed, then just to make sure he looked over his shoulder and spotted Kyle. Colt made a small 'o' with his mouth before turning back to Dev, Dev looked at him finally and Colt grimaced to cover his amused smile.

"That's not right," Dev said, sounding like a prudish old woman and shaking his head. Colt coughed to hide his laugh. "I'm telling you, he shouldn't be messin' wit' her."

"Yeah, you know if I didn't know better …" Colt said with a deliberately thoughtful voice, Dev made an angry noise and pointed at Colt.

"Yes, you do know better, so don't even say it," Dev warned fiercely and went to walk away but stopped and turned back to Colt, still pointing at him, "better yet don't even think it!"

"Think what?" Colt asked innocently.

"What I'm thinking," Dev responded breathlessly, licking his lips with agitation he glanced over at Kyle, "Because if you think it and I think it, then …"

"We're both thinking it?" Colt said completely nonplussed as to what Dev was getting at.

"No, idiot!" Dev snarled with disgust, "it means that the power of our thinking might - just might - influence what he does or what the fates think he should do and he'll do it and then …"

Dev couldn't bring himself to say it, Colt was looking at him with amusement but also as if he thought he was insane.

"All I'm saying," Dev continued in a would-be-calm voice, but his eyes were flicking feverishly towards Kyle every few seconds, "is we have enough bad jujus happening around here, we don't need anymore. And this is New Orleans, all you need to do is think bad juju and juju comes to get you."

Colt rubbed his temple, "Dev …"

"Don't tell me I'm crazy, Sera already has," Dev held up his hand to stop Colt's protestations, but his face paled as he looked at Kyle. Colt turned around and saw what was bothering him so much, he sighed, "oh boy."

Kyle was behind Naomi as she leant over to take her shot, his hand was on her ass and he leant over with her and kissed her bare shoulder, Naomi laughed and it was evident by the way he was rubbing on her that she could feel something other then the pool cue because she blushed and stood straight after taking her shot looking around to make sure no one was watching. She didn't spot them of course and no other humans were hanging around, she turned and they started to kiss, Kyle pulled back and run his hand down her cheek. All the while he looked into her eyes and Colt had to admit the guy looked smitten, a part of him was even envious. Kyle went to take his shot and Colt braced himself as he turned to Dev, who's very lips had gone white at the sight of them, he's eyes were fired up when he looked back at Colt.

"Did you just see that?" he demanded, Colt pinched the bridge of his nose, "did you, hmm? This is only going to end one way, my friend."

"You know you're starting to sound like Mama," Colt commented but Dev didn't seem to understand that it wasn't strictly a compliment.

"Yeah and you know what she would say if she saw that, huh?"

Remi came up behind him, "yeah, she'd say would you stop acting like a fucking old woman."

Colt laughed and Remi craned his neck to see what had Dev's knickers in a twist, he raised his eyebrow, there was a tightening to Remi's mouth that said he was slightly anxious but other then that he stayed quiet.

"Oh," he said and took a sip of his orange juice, Dev looked aghast and angry, he put his hands on his hips.

"That's all you're going to say, is it? Oh?"

Remi swallowed his orange with a very innocent look, "oh dear?"

He looked at Colt as if to say, 'was that right?'

"Remi, what if he's destined to be mated to her?" Dev broke out suddenly, his voice showing just how worried he was. Dev was never worried and he hardly ever acted like a grown up, so Colt stopped laughing and Remi stopped drinking.

"If he is, there really isn't anything we can do," Colt said to Dev reasonably.

"There's nothing we _should _do," Remi cut over sternly, he gave them both a serious look. "Destiny is a fragile thing, a thing that we cannot afford to tamper with. If we do, if we forbid him from seeing her, sleeping with her, we could alter the whole course of his life. Do you really want to take that risk? He'd never forgive us, and neither would Maman."

All three looked very sombre for a moment, Dev sighed.

"He wouldn't listen to us anyway," Colt observed, turning to look at Kyle and Naomi fooling around, "if we told her she was off limits, he'd just tell us to fuck off at best, lie and keep seeing her in secret at worst."

"Then there's the question of rights," Remi murmured and Dev grumbled, it was the second time someone had used this argument. "We all have the right to find our mates. Even I would prefer him to be older but …"

Remi just shrugged and they all nodded, Colt swivelled on his bar stool and watched Kyle brush her hair back from her face.

"I don't think I have ever seen him look so happy," he murmured, "not lately anyway. Not since …"

Colt inwardly winced at the pain of losing the only mother and father he'd ever known.

"It is about rights, but I'm not letting him go into this thing blind," Dev said fiercely, Colt turned back to look at him, "he wants to fuck her then fair dos, welcome to the family. But he has to know that it's likely that she could be his mate."

"She might not be," Remi said hopefully, and they all looked over at Kyle and knew the truth. The way the kid was acting they'd all stake their lives on it that she was.

"I think he feels the quickening, the feeling you get when you first come into contact with your mate," Dev explained to Colt, who had yet to meet his mate, much to his displeasure.

"I think he's feeling a lot more then that," quipped Remi with a sardonic quirk of his brow, the other two looked over at Kyle, Colt laughed heartily while Dev let out a reluctant grin. "Boy's got the worse case of Roman hands and Russian fingers I've ever seen. God damn!"


	4. Chapter 4

Kyle came springing down the stairs, he was wearing new jeans and a new sweater, he stopped by the mirror in the hallway.

"Where you going?"

Kyle looked around and saw Dev leaning against the door jamb to the living room with his arms crossed over his broad chest, Kyle flashed him a quick grin.

"To the movies," Kyle said, "Naomi wants to see Avatar."

"You're looking very swish," Dev said sarcastically and Kyle said nothing but gave the mirror the finger so Dev saw his reflection.

"So this Naomi," Dev said seriously, "who is she?"

"You've met her," Kyle said distractedly, deciding if the sweater looked right.

"Yeah, but how much do you know about her?"

"Enough."

"Enough," Dev repeated, his temper flaring, Kyle raised a questioning eyebrow at him in the mirror.

"What's up your ass?"

"Have you slept with her yet?" Dev demanded and a shadow of anger darkened Kyle's face, he turned and looked at Dev in disgust.

"That's none of your business!" Kyle snapped back at him, he made to walk past, "pervert!"

"Oh, spare me!" Dev sneered, "I don't give a shit about your love life! I just want to know whether you have been with _her _yet?"

"Why do you want to know?" Kyle demanded.

"Because we want you to be careful," Dev said suddenly, surprising Kyle who didn't think that was what Dev would say.

"We can't catch -"

"I don't give a shit about STD's, Kyle!" Dev cried, "I want you to be careful in case she's your mate."

Kyle was shocked into silence for a moment, but in truth he wasn't shocked, not by the idea that Naomi was his mate at least. He hadn't expected Dev to be thinking along the same lines though.

"So what?" Kyle replied carelessly and with a shrug that riled Dev more.

"What do you mean so what, you stupid idiot?" Dev shouted, "you're too young to be mated Kyle. You're fresh out of puberty, you can't handle being mated."

"I'd handle it a damn sight better then you did!" Kyle retorted and Dev's head snapped back as if Kyle had hit him. "And so what if I was mated?"

Dev looked as if he couldn't believe his ears, "listen to yourself. You're too young."

"Some of my human friends are already married with children at twenty-five," Kyle informed him coolly.

"You're a were-hunter, Kyle!" Dev shouted at him.

"So that just means I'm more prepared then anyone should I be mated!"

"How do you figure that?" Dev sneered mockingly.

"I have money and property independent of this family, I know how to run a business and I'm capable of taking care of myself. I stay here because this is my family home and I love it, because I want to be here. But I don't think you like that I would be able to survive on my own."

"You wouldn't last a day!"

"Whatever," Kyle said, "you're making me late."

"If you sleep with her and you're mated, what the hell are you going to do?" Dev followed him, drilling into him; Kyle started to feel his head pound. "Huh? What happens when you have to convince her that she has to mate with you?"

Kyle said nothing but kept walking, he got downstairs and was at the door that led through to the bar, Jasyn was at the door. He gave the pair of them an uninterested look before leaving for the kitchen.

"You've only been going out for two months, Kyle!"

"Three actually!"

"Big difference. It's still not enough time to -"

"To what?"

Dev growled in frustration.

"Why are you being so unreasonable," Dev yelled, "you barely know this chick, are you going to through away your youth on her?"

"Not everyone wants to whore themselves out for centuries, Dev!"

"This isn't about that," Dev said sternly, though Kyle saw his cheeks glow scarlet.

"Then what is it about? I sleep with her, I'm either mated or I'm not!"

"She won't be able to accept the reality of what you are!" Dev shouted at him, "she's too young and so are you, end of story!"

Dev made a slashing motion with his hand and Kyle snarled at him before turning to leave again.

"She'll never accept you, Kyle. And if she does it won't be for the right reasons."

Kyle went stock still, he turned, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Meaning you're really good looking with that wallet making weight in your pocket!"

Kyle stared at Dev and Dev bit his lip, he'd heard his mother's voice. She'd shouted the same thing at Remi about Lucille … at all of them at one point or another about their mates because to her no woman was good enough for her sons. Dev had never liked his mother's tactics and he'd just gone for the jugular on his little brother, Dev put his hands on his waist and hung his head. He saw Kyle walk towards him, likely to get past and go to his room.

"Kyle, I'm so -"

Dev didn't finish the rest of his apology because Kyle didn't want to get past, instead he pulled back his fist and slammed it into Dev's face with such strength that he knocked the elder bear down, flat on his ass, Dev looked up shocked at Kyle's show of strength. Kyle's hands went to his hair and he paced away from Dev then back to him, he looked scared, not of Dev and his reprisals, but of what he had just done.

"Shit! I'm sorry - I didn't mean -" Kyle couldn't manage anything else; he fled from the house, tearing through the bar like demons were on his tail. He'd always fought with his older brothers before, but never had he hit to hurt them like that, the feeling of anger and rage it had taken to make him lash out. Kyle felt like he'd committed the ultimate act of disrespect and disgrace against his family, how could he look his brothers in the face again?

Back in Sanctuary Dev was still on his ass, he didn't want to admit it but his little brother packed quite a punch and it had left him feeling dizzy. His mouth was pouring with blood and Dev spat a tooth out in his hand, he groaned, Sera was just going to love this. Jasyn appeared at the kitchen door and leant against the door frame, he raised an impeccably arrogant eyebrow.

"For entertainment value alone, I would award you ten points," he remarked in a crafty voice, there was a malicious laugh in there somewhere. "But for skill you really fucked up so you only get three."

"Piss off!" Dev snarled and Jasyn laughed.

"I always thought it was quite unfair that as a Limani you all were allowed to fight each other without consequences. But then I guess Savitar saw this day coming."

Jasyn turned around to walk back into the kitchen calling over his shoulder, "word of the wise, bear. If you're wanting to lecture him on women, its best if someone does it who hasn't shagged more women then he's had hot dinners. Just a thought, bear, just a thought."

Dev growled, Jasyn was usually a monosyllabic, acerbic loner yet he'd spoken more then he'd ever done at Sanctuary and all of it was snide and mocking. No wonder there was enough bounty on his head to fill the Mississippi until it was spitting out gold.

* * *

Kyle found himself at Naomi's door, she'd told him she'd be meeting him at Bride's store, but he had let his feet take him anywhere and he found himself there. Kyle leant his head against the frame of her front door and didn't knock; he just wanted the pounding behind his eyes to stop for one minute.

"Can I help you?"

Kyle snapped his eyes open and spun around, a woman was standing on the bottom step of the porch stairs, she was in her mid forties with a pretty face that resembled Naomi's. Kyle cleared his throat quickly; the woman looked at him expectantly.

"I'm Kyle, Kyle Peltier. I'm looking for Naomi."

The woman smiled kindly, but there was a look in her eyes, one his mother gave him that told him she was a little worried about him but had decided to let him sort it out for himself. The woman came up the steps with her keys in her hand.

"I was just going to pop my keys under the door mat for Naomi if she was going to come in late. She gave her keys to her younger sister," the woman explained, "I'm working nights now and I don't like her being alone in here by herself, I'm glad you're here with her."

She unlocked the door and handed him the keys, she then gave him a smile and went back to her car, started the engine and drove away. Kyle watched her out of sight; all of a sudden he really missed his own mother.

"Kyle?"

He looked through the door and saw Naomi looking shocked to see him; he gave her a wan smile, "hey."

She looked as if she were about to ask him what he was doing here but she noticed how stooped his shoulders were, how dull his face appeared.

"Come in," she said softly and he did, closing the door behind him he moved into her warm home. It was decorated nicely but not lavishly, it was immaculately clean and tidy, everything put in its right place. There were lots of photos of Naomi and her family together, lots of trophies, and ribbons, some for Naomi and others for her brothers.

Naomi didn't lead him to the kitchen, she took the keys from his hand and then led him upstairs, he followed mutely the light smell of her almond air freshener was pleasing to his senses, as was the smell of Naomi's skin when he got close enough to smell it. She opened the door to her room and let him in, he walked in dumbly and she closed the door quietly, she moved him towards the bed and sat him down. Kyle noted that her room wasn't overtly girly; it was fairly large, with pine furniture and a wicker chair in the corner with large red pillows on it and a teddy bear. She had lots of books here, on a shelf nailed high on her wall that ran all the way round her bedroom. They weren't all fiction; some were geography, history, languages, the things they shared in common. There was a world map on her wall with different routes marked out on it with different coloured pens, beside it were framed pictures, her windows were shut and Kyle looked out to see a trickle of rain racing down the pane.

Naomi joined him on the bed and looked at him, he didn't say anything, nor did he look at her, she reached up and gently stroked his hair back. Kyle moaned with contentment and leaned into her touch as if seeking comfort, she continued to stroke, Kyle had never felt anything so soothing. She murmured to him, low, soft and slow and her voice had the same peaceful, soothing effect as if someone were massaging his shoulders.

"Forget the movies," she was saying softly, still stroking back his hair, "you look like you've had a rough day."

Kyle nodded and closed his eyes.

When he woke his headache was gone and Kyle felt like his fight with Dev had happened several days ago instead of several hours. Kyle looked at the window, it was still raining, heavier in fact then it was earlier but instead of dusk just rolling in it was completely dark and he saw himself reflected in the window along with the dim light from the lamp on Naomi's bed side table. Kyle wasn't sure how it had happened but his sweater and shirt was off and folded neatly on her wicker chair, his shoes were off too and his head was on Naomi's chest. The urge to go back to sleep was overwhelming, he felt so peaceful and warm here but it wasn't fair on Naomi, he moved and she blinked her eyes open.

"I must have dozed off with you," she murmured huskily, Kyle didn't get very far, he couldn't be bothered to move that much so he simply rolled off her and on to the other side of the bed. He was extremely glad at that moment that he was Arcadian so he hadn't transformed under her touch, he hadn't been able to help himself; he just fell asleep.

"Sorry if I drooled over you," he murmured and Naomi smiled at him.

"Its fine," she whispered, "are you okay?"

Kyle nodded.

"You know …" Kyle began then stopped, not sure whether he could or should continue with his line of thought.

"What?" Naomi said and turned on her side so she was facing him.

"My mother and father only died seven months ago," Kyle said, he flicked his gaze to hers, she looked sad for him, she shifted closer.

"I'm so sorry," she said softly, Kyle smiled at her beautiful ways.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about them," Kyle drew a shuddering breath and tried to say the next lines without being completely cheesy, "except when I'm with you."

Naomi didn't say anything but she smiled softly at him and did that magic thing with her delicate fingers where she stroked his hair back gently, her nails grazing his scalp almost by accident, but it brought him out in goose pimples all the same.

"How did I get half naked, by the way?" Kyle said suddenly, hoping to break the silence that had settled between them. It wasn't uncomfortable, far from it, but it was just the kind of silence that he was tempted to fill by saying something that they both weren't ready for … no matter how true the words may be.

"It was a joint effort," Naomi eyes laughed at him, "You were half asleep and trying to take your sweater off so I helped with that and the rest."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Kyle pillowed his head against his arm and looked across her room to the wall with the map, he nodded to it and Naomi moved her head so she could stare also.

"Where you going?" Kyle whispered, there was a movement beside him that told him she had just shrugged.

"See the blue line?" she whispered, "that's the trip I want to take before I'm twenty-five. It takes me across the states and into Canada. The green line is what I want to complete before I'm twenty-nine, island hopping around the Med."

She shifted closer to Kyle and he watched her stare at the map with loving, hopeful eyes, "purple line, Africa before I'm thirty-three. Egypt, Morocco, Ivory Coast, the Congo."

"The red one?" Kyle murmured, "Europe?"

"Yeah. The best 'til last, before I'm forty. You know, my ancestors came from Europe?"

"So did mine," Kyle murmured and Naomi beamed at him.

"My father's family were from Ireland and Italy. My mother's family are from England and France. My grandmother told me stories before she died of her mother in London during the blitz, she met my great-grandfather who was an American soldier and they fell in love."

Kyle smiled.

"Why do you have those specific ages?" he asked and saw not so much a shadow but rather a suggestion of one crossing her face.

"Do you ever feel like there isn't enough time?" Naomi whispered and Kyle stayed quiet, growing up as a were-hunter one thing he had plenty of was time. "That life is running out before you've planned what you want to do let alone do it? … I do."

"You've got your whole life ahead of you," Kyle whispered to her.

"Do I?" Naomi asked casually, but her eyes looked despairing, "By the time I get my degree and get out of college I'll be twenty-four. I just want more time to do things; I don't want to be like my mother."

"Your mother?"

"Twenty-five, twenty-nine, thirty-three and forty, was the ages she had me and my brothers and sister. She always wanted to travel the world, when I asked why she didn't she told me she was too old for it now. Her time was up; she was where she had to be."

"Ah," Kyle said, understanding Naomi's fear to an extent. "Is that what scares you most? Not living?"

"Yep," Naomi sighed wistfully, "of wanting something and never having it. Of slipping away …"

Naomi looked at him with a self-deprecating smile, "how melodramatic is that?"

Kyle chuckled and linked hands with her.

"What scares you?"

Kyle turned his head to see Naomi looking at him questioningly, he opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"I … I've never really thought about it," he said, "I guess I'm frightened of … not so much the slipping away of life, but the waiting for my destiny to reveal itself."

"You believe in destiny?"

"Absolutely. I believe that there are three women up there somewhere right now, mapping out the next details of my life. And yours too."

Naomi let out a giggle and smiled at him, "the Moiré?"

"Exactly," Kyle said with a grin, his grin faded slightly, "I'm scared of not being in control. Of making choices that will hurt people."

Kyle leaned in until their foreheads were touching, like so many times before Naomi lifted her lids and flashed her eyes at him. The attraction that followed and the overwhelming need became ferocious in him; Kyle leant in so he touched his lips to hers. He allowed his thoughts to be washed away in that kiss, thinking of only how erotic her tongue was when it touched his, how soft her lips were. Naomi lifted a trembling hand and laid it on Kyle's bare chest, the excitement it produced had him jolting and Naomi took her hand away quickly. Without breaking the kiss Kyle took her hand in his returned it to his chest, Naomi smiled into the kiss and smoothed her palm up his chest towards his shoulder. Kyle was a little more hesitant with his hands, but he gathered her to him as best as he could while keeping his hips away from her so she wouldn't feel the beginnings of his semi. Naomi swept her hand up the nape of his neck and into his hair, gripping the golden strands in her fist, Kyle temporarily forgot his erection and yanked Naomi closer to him, rolling with her slightly so his upper body lay upon hers. Without meaning to, though secretly he had wanted it for a long time, Kyle swept his hand up her stomach and hit the underside of her breast. It was soft and warm through her t-shirt and his immediate reaction was to cup it, instead he broke the kiss and looked down upon Naomi.

Her lips were red and wet and her eyes dazed looking, she had felt his touch and her desire heightened immensely making Kyle go so hard he could barely keep his hips from pumping.

"Its okay," Naomi murmured, "to touch me there."

"Are you sure?" Kyle asked, praying that she meant it.

"I want you to."

Kyle lowered his lips once more to hers and they resumed their kiss, this time Kyle moved his hand up slowly and rubbed the underside teasingly with his thumb. Through her thin t-shirt Kyle felt her nipple blossom against his chest and he moved his hand up further, pushing his thumb firmly over the sensitive peak. Naomi arched into his hands, her back bowing slightly, she held him to her tightly and run her hands down his bare back, making him arch rather cat-like to her touch. He swept his hand back down her stomach and up again, hitting the underside of her breast, he repeated the motion each time dragging the shirt she wore up higher. Finally his fingers brushed against forbidden skin, warm and unbelievably soft, pliable and full, Kyle cupped Naomi's breast in his hand and kneaded.

She gasped and he did it again, his thumb brushed the nipple, still soft but the texture was different from the rest of the skin. He wondered if she would allow him to lift her shirt so he could lick at her, Kyle broke from her mouth and trailed kisses down her throat. Naomi's boneless body obediently tilted her head to the side and gave him greater access, her fingers skimming languidly down his defined abs. Kyle shuddered, pretty sure he would go off in his pants if she did that again, he licked at the hollow of her throat then he moved lower. He held himself poised above her nipple and refused to move until she said so, Naomi palmed his cheek and Kyle took that for assent. He lowered his mouth and covering the nipple, he sucked with slow, drugging pulls, the taste of her making him want to sink his teeth in harder. Naomi gave a soft moan and arched into him, Kyle did it again and squeezed his eyes shut trying to stop himself from coming. He lifted his head and curled his tongue around the nipple, his hand insistently kneading and squeezing the other breast, Naomi's hands went to his flies and Kyle went cold.

He brought himself up sharply and looked down on her; her eyes were confused as she breathed in pants, the same as him.

"I'm …" she blushed furiously as she stammered, "I'm ready. If … if you are, I mean."

Kyle felt his body screaming for hers, especially now that he realised he was half sitting, half lying between her open thighs. Her soft, old jeans stretched taunt over the warm, tight, young body beneath them. He wanted her desperately but … mated?

"I'm not," Kyle blurted out without thinking; still staring down at her he saw her blink in surprise. "I'm not ready … yet."

"Oh," Naomi said, she blinked again, "okay. Well, erm, we can wait."

Kyle sat up with a curse and moved to the edge of the bed where he rubbed his face furiously, he was sporting a hard on the size of a telephone pole and he was pulling shit like he wasn't ready. Naomi sat up slowly and sat back against her pillows, her legs pulled up against her.

"You must think I'm some kind of weirdo, right?" Kyle murmured, cringing at what she was no doubt thinking about him.

"No," she denied quickly, too quickly, Kyle's heart sank lower. "No, Kyle I don't. I'm a little surprised, if truth be known. But that's just because I thought we were waiting on me, I didn't think that you weren't ready. To be honest, if I had known I think it would have taken a lot of pressure off of me."

Kyle nodded, he felt like he was scenting the truth from her, he looked at her over his shoulder and saw her eyes were down cast and she was worrying her lip.

"What is it?" he asked miserably, Naomi looked up and opened her mouth, it looked like she was struggling for words.

"Look, just come out and say -"

"It's not me, is it?" she blurted out suddenly, Kyle frowned at her and she blushed.

"What do you mean?" Naomi rolled her eyes at him as if he were dense.

"You know what I mean," she said and there was a bite in her voice, "is it … me? My body or … is it me?"

"No!" Kyle insisted vehemently, "no, its not you."

She smiled slightly but he knew she wasn't convinced; he stood up in front of her ready to pull some drastic shit.

"Look, don't freak out but -" Kyle took her hand and led it to his erection, he hissed and shuddered as she palmed him through his jeans, he's head was thrown back and the tendons in his neck were straining with the pressure of not thrusting against her.

"That's how much I want you," Kyle muttered huskily and Naomi, blushing the colour of a tomato, looked very pleased.

"I'm just not ready," Kyle said miserably and felt utterly pathetic, Naomi smiled at him. She knelt up on the bed and wrapped one arm around his waist to pull him nearer and the other hand she used to pull his head to hers. She kissed him slowly and thoroughly, Kyle loved kissing her and he did it well, if he did say so himself. Kyle broke the kiss and cupped her pretty face in his hands, looking down on her, he knew she was his mate, she just had to be.

"But when I am ready, I need it to be with you."

Were Naomi the snivelling type she would have teared up, instead she just cleared her heavy throat and nodded.

"It better be."

Naomi got up from the bed and gave Kyle a final kiss, "put your shirt on, if my dad comes home and see's you like that in here he'll have a stroke."

Kyle smiled, "you're really okay with this?"

Naomi smiled warmly at him and nodded, "I'm very okay with this."

"But," Kyle said slipping his sweater over his head, amazed that she hadn't called him a pussy and a schmuck and kicked him out, "we can still do lots of heavy petting, right?"

Naomi laughed and left the room, Kyle let the smile fade from his face, he'd bought himself a little bit of time, but eventually he'd have to come clean.


	5. Chapter 5

Kyle closed the door quietly as he stepped back into his house, he heard voices from the kitchen and living room and his immediate reaction was to high tail it up the stairs. Kyle had his foot placed on the first step, he paused and sighed, he was no longer a little boy anymore. No mother to protect him, no father to tell his brothers to lay off him, if he wanted to be treated like he were a man he knew he couldn't afford to skulk away from the things he wished to avoid. Kyle took his foot from the stair and with a fortifying breath he made for the living room, where there were only three voices. Kyle opened the door and the talking stopped, Remi, Sera and Serre were there and they stared at him, Kyle felt his face flush and his body grow hot as if he were standing under a bright spotlight.

"Looking for me?"

Kyle turned slowly at Dev's voice and faced his brother; he inwardly winced when he saw the slight damage to Dev's lip. Luckily for Dev he was a were-hunter and by tomorrow there would be little to no sign of the split lip or the bruising.

"Not really, I knew you'd come looking for me," Kyle answered back smartly with a shrug, Dev's face tightened and Kyle sighed, this was not how he had envisioned himself proving that he was now old enough to take care of himself.

"I'm sorry for hitting you," Kyle said abruptly, there was only the slightest trace of reluctance in his voice, "I know what you were trying to say, but to be fair I don't think you have the right to say it like that."

"I know that and I'm sorry for it," Dev said stiffly, Kyle wondered in part whether it was because the bear did not want to split his lip again. "But you have to see sense."

Sera made to open her mouth but Dev held his hand up to her and Kyle was surprised when she fell silent.

"Do you think I'm so stupid that I haven't thought about that already?" Kyle asked a bite in his voice. "Don't you think I can't sense that she is my mate?"

There was a collective intake of breath from everyone in the room, but Kyle felt a sense of relief from having voiced what everyone was trying to avoid talking about but insisted on warning him about.

"You know for certain?" Serre asked seriously.

"How can anyone know for certain until they've slept with their mate?" Dev said testily.

"I did," Remi said softly and they all looked at him, he shrugged when he saw them staring at him.

"You knew Lucille was your mate before you even slept with her?" Serre asked incredulously and Remi rubbed his stubbly jaw thoughtfully.

"I knew that even if the mark didn't show I was going to be with her," Remi responded definitely, "I knew that I'd never felt the same way about another woman and really, when it comes down to it, that's the true feeling you get from being near your mates, isn't it?"

"And you tell me about being an old woman!" Dev sneered; though Kyle watched his eyes move to Sera and soften.

"Have you slept with her yet, Kyle?" Serre asked seriously and Kyle found that he didn't feel so indignant about answering Serre, when he knew that the question was asked with a purely clinical view, he did not wish to mock or make fun, Serre just wanted the truth.

"No," Kyle said on a sigh, "not yet."

"So you plan to?" Sera asked, already knowing the answer.

"I want to," Kyle said cautiously, he glanced at Dev who was watching him, "look I'm not going to front, okay? I want to be with her. And I'm in a bit of a bind right now; if I don't sleep with her soon she'll probably dump me and find someone else. If I do I'm mated and have to explain to her all about this shit."

"There is a third option …"

Kyle closed his eyes, he knew in the back of his brother's and Sera's mind they had been thinking about it, he just hadn't expected Serre to be the one to voice it. Kyle opened his eyes and pinned him with a glare.

"No," he growled.

"If you walk away from her -" Serre began but Kyle let out a growl of a bear and Serre reluctantly closed his mouth. Dev pushed himself away from the door jamb and shook his head while watching Kyle's mutinous face.

"No," Dev said firmly, "don't ever ask him to do that. It's not fair."

"You're damn right its not!" Kyle rumbled and Dev nodded.

"Then we'll let you sort this out anyway you see fit."

Kyle nodded and felt the weight fall back on him, they left the room one by one, Remi was the last to leave but he stopped by Kyle's side. Kyle lifted his hanging head to look at the brother he normally always fought with.

"We're here if you need us," he said solemnly, Kyle snorted.

"We?"

"I'm here if you need help," Remi whispered, his eyes deep and sincere, Kyle nodded, his throat feeling tight.

"Thanks."

Remi rubbed his hair and left, Kyle watched him go thinking about Remi's words and felt grateful for them. He also thought of how the bear had professed to not care whether Lucille had been his designated mate or not, he had still refused to give her up. Did he feel the same way about Naomi? He couldn't honestly say …

Kyle jumped as his phone went off in his pocket, he took it out and saw Naomi's number on the screen, how very timely. For the first time since he'd met her Kyle pressed silent and let the phone ring until it stopped. He needed space if he was to think about what he was going to do; he needed a mind that wasn't clouded by Naomi, for when he was with her she was the only thing he wanted.

* * *

Naomi had barely seen Kyle for three whole weeks, he said he was busy but she didn't believe him, she knew when someone was avoiding her. If she hadn't liked him so much she was have given up calling him by the end of the first week, but she really needed to know what was up with him. What had she done wrong?

It's not as if she'd been pushy with the sex thing. Fine, whatever, he wasn't ready, and at the time it had been weird yet slightly adorable. But still she hadn't pushed him to sleep with her; perhaps she should have applied pressure, which was a nice turn around because guys did it to girls all the time. Another thing they did to girls all the time was promise to call and then not, avoid phone calls from their girlfriends. Naomi was so angry with him; every time she thought of what he was doing while he wasn't with her she got a sick feeling in her stomach. Was he with other women? Was he with his friends? Was he really just busy?

The guy she thought she knew wouldn't do this to someone without good reason … but did she really know him? They'd only been going out for three and a half months and as lovely as that time had been, it still wasn't very long and she'd never actually been inside his house, she'd only met two of his brothers and his sister. Perhaps Stephanie had been right, perhaps she wasn't Kyle's type, lord knows she'd thought it herself often enough. How different they were. Not necessarily in personality but … other things.

That sick feeling of humiliation swelled within her, he'd been to her house, her run down old house. The one she was so ashamed of and had taken lengths to prevent him from seeing, but he had seen and Naomi had just started recovering from the fact that he'd been in her house and he'd pulled a stunt like this. What if he'd told his friends? What if he'd mocked her and her family and her house? She was so angry at him and so angry at herself, she'd always had doubts about people; it was just part of her cautious nature, a part she wished to rid herself of. Her suspicious nature had always stopped her from making close friends; apparently it hadn't helped her when she'd needed it. The lecture bell rang and Naomi shot out of her seat and to the door, she'd already packed her things back into her bag while the professor was still speaking. She and Kyle weren't stuck together like glue so they didn't always have lunch together, but on Thursdays they did. Naomi had purposely come in five minutes later so that most of the seats would be taken and she wouldn't have to sit anywhere near Kyle. She rushed off now so it didn't look as if she were waiting for him; she didn't think she could stand him simply walking past her with his friends and Stephanie while she opened her mouth to talk to him like a guppy. She saw it all happening in her head and her pride could not bare the shame of allowing him to treat her like some kind of door mat. Naomi kicked her chin up, she may well be poorer then him but she had a damn sight more decency and pride.

Naomi didn't slow until she was out of the main building and walking across the green, she was thinking of stepping into town to grab a burger or something. If Kyle was looking for her in the canteen he'd have a long wait.

"Naomi!"

Naomi looked over her shoulder and saw Kyle jogging up to her, she turned around and waited for him to catch up to her, greeting him with a cold face and a questioningly raised eyebrow.

"Hey, why didn't you wait?" he said, not the slightest bit out of breath, she'd have been heaving if she jogged all the way across the green which stretched for quite a while.

"I thought you were busy," she said, backing away a pace or two when he came closer, she saw him blink in surprise. She was generally the friendly, happy sort of person, always smiling and too easy-going and quick to laugh to be angry.

"Aren't we having lunch together?" he asked cautiously, and Naomi bit her lip to keep herself from making a scene by raging at him in public. The anger was boiling inside her though, so was the hurt, the hurt that was clogging her throat.

"I have somewhere to be," Naomi said briskly, she watched him look a little uncomfortable; he flicked his hair from his eyes. The familiar gesture caused the hurt to sting just that little bit deeper.

"Can I come with you?" he said hopefully.

"No, sorry."

"I know you're pissed off with me right now," Kyle began warily, but stopped when she sighed impatiently.

"I really need to go now, Kyle," Naomi cut over him when he would have apologised, it was then that Kyle saw that her eyes were too bright and he felt like a shit. He'd literally had to lock his phone away to keep himself from calling her these last three weeks, and every time he looked and saw how many calls he'd missed he felt like a total asshole. It was only when he'd looked and noted that she'd stopped calling that he became worried and he'd gone over to her house at the weekend to see her but she'd been out. Her brother said he didn't know where she was but Kyle knew the guy was lying, and even though Kyle wanted kick the guy in balls for the way he was looking at him like he was dog shit, he knew Naomi would freak if he hit her brother. He also knew that the guy was only looking out for his little sister. He'd tried to phone her but her phone was off, she wasn't at Bride's store and she was deliberately coming in late to lectures so there was no chance of them sitting near one another. Kyle wanted to hit himself; he'd pulled the same tricks on her when he'd been avoiding her and now he was getting the same treatment.

_You're screwing this up, Kyle! _He admonished himself, _badly!_

"Listen, can we talk?" Kyle asked pleadingly, he tried to take her hand, but she whipped her arm up and out of his reach, backing away quickly. "Okay, okay, I won't touch you, but let me explain? Please?"

Naomi did not want to be one of those girls she used to look at and want to shout at for being a door mat and an idiot for their boyfriends. But the way he was being now made her want to give him the benefit of the doubt, what if he was in trouble or something, or he may have been truly really busy? Naomi was on the verge of actually shedding a tear and she refused to do that here, not in front of him or anyone.

"Fine, we'll talk later," she said on an irritated sigh and Kyle nodded, his heart pounding.

"I'll come over to your -" he was about to say her house, but she interrupted.

"No, don't," she said quickly, "I'm working at Bride's tonight until about seven. Come over then, the store will be clear."

"Okay, that's great," Kyle agreed immediately, she nodded and Kyle stepped forward not sure what he planned to do but before he could raise his hand she'd backed up and turned her back on him. Kyle clenched his fist; she'd just given him a clear warning off signal that he no longer had the right to touch, not until he'd explained himself at least. Kyle felt extremely lonely all of a sudden, he had friends and family, but he'd never felt quite the same comfort that he'd got with Naomi. He didn't want to lose her, but from the anger and hurt that was clouding around her he wasn't so sure he'd be able to lie his way out of this.

* * *

Kyle appeared promptly outside Bride's store at seven o clock, he was there a bit earlier but Naomi was still serving customers. At one point, much to Kyle's displeasure, Travis walked into the store and they spoke for several minutes, they hugged and he left. There were finger marks in the brick of the building across from the store where Kyle watched, it took all his control not to chase Travis down and open his throat. The perfect harmony that existed between Kyle's human and bear sides had been unsteady of late but seeing Travis near his woman completely unbalanced it and the bear demanded satisfaction with Travis's death. Kyle breathed deeply and at seven precisely he started across the street to the store, he saw her through the glass, she was giving the store one last wipe over, he opened the door. He saw her glance over her shoulder at the sound of the bell, he smiled in greeting and she gave him a nod and a half-assed smile, obviously she'd cooled down but he was still in the dog house.

"Been busy?" Kyle asked and she did a hand movement that he took as meaning so-so. Kyle nodded and his heart began to pound, he hadn't prepared anything definite that he was going to say to her. He watched Naomi put the duster away, with the vacuum and polish, she came back to the counter and leant upon it, Kyle stood beside her and did the same. The silence was awkward in a way it hadn't been since their first ever meeting, Kyle shifted nearer and inhaled taking her scent into him.

"So you wanted to tell me something?" Naomi said her voice tired and impatient; Kyle stopped sniffing at her and nodded. He pushed himself back from the counter and began to walk about the room, thinking of how best to get himself out of trouble.

"I wanted to say how sorry I was for the last three weeks," Kyle said earnestly and Naomi nodded slowly, her eyes still down cast.

"So you agree I'm not over reacting if I thought you were avoiding me and all that?" she asked, she still wouldn't show him her eyes but her voice was damning enough for him.

'_You were avoiding me …' _

Kyle winced when he realised of what she must have thought, he would know how he would feel should he have got half the treatment he'd given her.

"No you weren't overreacting," Kyle agreed tightly, she nodded to the floor, looking through the glass case to all the jewellery inside. "But I have a reas -"

"Why were you avoiding me then?" Kyle didn't answer and she flicked her eyes to his face, he caught their beauty and pain.

"I …" Kyle grappled for an excuse, "I just … needed space."

"Space," she echoed immediately, "and I suppose not returning my calls was easier then just saying so."

"No, that's not what I meant -"

"Whatever, Kyle," Naomi said, "you can have space. All the space you need," she added sarcastically.

"It wasn't like that," Kyle said breathlessly, his heart kicking up a gear, "it wasn't about having space from you … exactly. I just needed to think some things through."

"Oh," Naomi said as if she couldn't care less and Kyle wanted to throw something in frustration.

"Naomi, I can't tell you half the things about me because you wouldn't understand!" Kyle cried, opening his hands pleadingly.

"Well, if I wouldn't understand then I wouldn't understand," she said carelessly, but the ice in her voice said she was still really pissed off.

"God, how can you be so cold!" he demanded furiously, her eyes flashed as they snapped to his face, "damn it, don't you want this to work?"

"Fuck you!" she yelled back, tears springing to her eyes, "I wasn't the one that decided to suddenly disappear and not return his girlfriend's phone calls. How can I even try to understand if you won't tell me what's bothering you?"

"Because it will freak you the fuck out!" Kyle yelled back and Naomi stared at him, she was still furious with him.

"Well, seeing as I don't even get the benefit of the doubt I don't see much point in going on with this!"

"Damn it, Naomi!" Kyle slammed his hand down on the counter; Kyle stared at the twinkling rings trying to calm himself down. He looked back up and saw Naomi standing there with her arms folded under her breasts, she was looking defiantly away from him at a spot on the rug, she was scowling hard at it and tears were coursing fast and furious down her flushed cheeks. Anger melted from him and Kyle went to her, she didn't resist very much when he pulled her into his arms and rubbed big, soothing circles on her back. His anger melted away from him and he pulled her close, her face was turned from him as her wet cheek rested on his shoulder, he could feel her body moving with silent sobs. He kissed her hair and continued to rub her back.

"I don't want this to end," Kyle murmured to her softly, "I want to stay with you."

Naomi stayed silent, even though she didn't make a sound she was crying like her heart was breaking and Kyle would have given anything to stop it. "I'm sorry I was such an idiot, I'm so, so sorry. I love you."

Kyle held his breath but still she didn't say anything, he gently gripped her arms and pulled her back. The absence of the others body warmth made them both shiver, still Naomi refused to meet his gaze, averting her face as if she were ashamed of her tears, she wiped furiously at her streaming eyes.

"Are you okay?" Kyle said gently and she nodded, hiccupping a little. "Sit down and we can talk."

Naomi sat on the stool behind the counter and Kyle leant against it so he was close to her, her knees were touching his legs, still she would not let him see her eyes.

"I love you," he whispered to her pushing her hair from her face, Naomi groaned and covered her red face.

"Don't! I'm so ugly when I cry!"

Kyle laughed kissed her temple, "you're beautiful to me."

Naomi lowered her hands and took a deep breath; she looked up at him with a serious expression.

"I take it you're not going to tell me anything," she sniffled and Kyle sighed, what could he tell her?

_The truth_, his heart suggested.

"Was it because of the whole sex thing?" Naomi asked grimacing as if she knew she wouldn't like the answer. Kyle's first reaction was to deny that it was about her or the sex then he stopped himself, he so desperately wanted to tell her the truth and have her accept him.

"Partly," Kyle muttered and Naomi winced, she shook her head.

"I knew it," she said staring off into space, "I knew it was something to do with that."

"Not the way you think though," Kyle assured her quickly and Naomi stared at him cynically, "I swear, Naomi, it's not what you think."

"Do you trust me enough to tell me?" she asked tauntingly and Kyle groaned, he looked back at her.

"Alright, but you're going to have to keep an open mind, okay?" Kyle warned her and she nodded, her face looked a lot happier, which Kyle was glad about. Though he dreaded trying to explain all this.

"My family are … different," Kyle began; he stumbled on what to say next, "the sex thing, I really want it. With you!" he added quickly and Naomi looked as if she was going to laugh, "I really want it to be with you. But it's difficult."

"Old fashioned?" Naomi asked and Kyle imitated her hand gesture from earlier.

"Not so much old fashioned, though that is part of it I guess. But in my family we believe that when we've found the person we're supposed to …" Kyle had a quick debate in his head over vocabulary. _Mate or marry? Mate or marry?_

"Mate with," he decided, "well, when we feel like we've met that person and we have sex, we are tied to them."

Naomi pulled a face that told him she was having trouble believing this, "would you be offended if I told you I thought you were talking bullshit?" she said suddenly and Kyle had the mad urge to laugh.

"No, I wouldn't be offended. That's just it; I know what it sounds like -"

"If you're trying to say you want to wait until you're married to have sex then that's -"

"That's not what I'm saying, Naomi," Kyle said desperately, he licked his lips.

"Do you believe in the supernatural?" he asked and saw her face grow wary, he wanted to kick himself but the cat was amongst the pigeons now and there was no going back.

"I don't know … you mean like ghosts?"

"Well, yeah, that would help but I'm thinking along the lines of …" Kyle grimaced, "werewolves."

Naomi rubbed her eyes and groaned, "I get it."

Kyle was on tender hooks, "get what?"

"I get it, Kyle," she snapped at him, "you're into all this role-play shit. Is that the only way you can …" she flicked her eyes to his crotch, "you know?"

Kyle felt like ramming his head through the counter, "no! No, that is not it! I am not different because I'm old fashioned or a Mormon or some shit! I'm a werewolf, a shape shifter!"

He didn't tell her that there were different species of Weres; he didn't think she could cope with the whole 'I'm a werewolf but the politically correct term for it is were-hunter because I'm actually a bear.'

"Kyle, stop it!" Naomi said sternly, and he could sense her fear, but what was the point of stopping now, he'd let the secret out. "This isn't funny anymore."

"Look, I know this is a lot to take in but I can prove it to you -"

"Kyle, you're scaring me!"

"I know!" Kyle cried, "I know because I can sense your fear. I can hear your heart beat. I feel your fear, your sorrow, your happiness and your desire. I can change into the form of an animal!"

Naomi tried to get past him but he blocked her and she jumped back as if he were going to hurt her, that went over Kyle like a bucket of ice water and he felt choked.

"Please, please don't do that," he said thickly, she was shaking and looking towards the door, Kyle backed up, his hands held in surrender. "Here, look I'm backing up. You can get past me."

"I don't believe in this, Kyle," Naomi whispered, her lip trembling, her eyes so bright, "I really can't believe it."

Kyle nodded, feeling his heart break, he stepped back and they had the counter between them, staring into each other's eyes. She looked so far away, and so sad, he tried to blink his eyes clear, wishing he could have kissed her one last time. He should never have tried to foist his world on her, he should have never have touched her … for his own sake he should have never given himself the knowledge of her comfort and desire for her body.

"I still love you, you know," he said and left the store, Naomi began to sob harder then she'd ever sobbed in her life. She wasn't sure if he were ill or whether he was doing this all as a big joke, either way her heart was breaking because she loved him too.


	6. Chapter 6

Dev knocked on Kyle's bedroom door, there was no answer, Dev frowned and knocked again, still the boy didn't say anything.

"Kyle?" he called through the door, he heard shifting around beyond the door, "Kyle, you awake?"

"What?" Kyle's voice growled through the door, Dev braced himself with a deep breath, gripped the handle and walked in the room. Kyle was laying in bed staring up at the ceiling; the comforter was thrown over his waist, his top half bare.

"You sick?" Dev demanded, looking him over, both of them knew that were-hunters rarely got ill so Kyle just raised his middle finger without a word.

"What is wrong with you?" Dev asked again and when he got no answer he gave up, "well, get your ass up you'll be late."

"I'm not going in today," Kyle informed him in a monotone voice and Dev stopped as he was going out the door.

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm not," Kyle said and turned over so his back was to Dev, "night."

Dev was about to open his mouth and say something when he felt a hand on his arm, he looked up and saw Aimee, she placed a finger to her lips and pulled Kyle's door shut.

"What?" Dev said when they'd moved further up the hallway, Aimee turned to look at him.

"I think he and Naomi may have split up," she whispered and Dev smiled.

"Well, its all for the best," he said promptly, earning himself a scathing glare from his sister.

"Is it?" she asked sardonically and left him to go back to her own room, Dev looked back at Kyle's door and felt slightly ashamed of himself. There had been genuine sadness in the air when Dev had entered his room, Dev wanted to growl, he was trying his hardest to be responsible for his family but everything was going wrong! Dev exhaled slowly deciding that what he was about to do could either make it drastically worse or a lot better, he sincerely hoped it was the latter.

* * *

Dev parked his bike outside Naomi's house; he knew it was her house because he could smell her scent around the yard and the front home. Kyle evidently wasn't marrying into money but luckily for Kyle, his family really didn't give a shit, the only compulsory requirement the Peltier boys had to have from their mates is an agreement that they would mate with them before three weeks was up. Dev wasn't sure what he was going to say to Naomi, he wasn't even sure what they had split over but it must have been something bad for the pair of them to both be skipping classes. Dev walked up the porch steps and knocked on the door, a woman came to it with a puzzled frown.

"May I help you?" she asked politely and Dev took off his sunglasses hoping to seem more genial, the woman's suspicion heightened and Dev cursed inwardly.

"I was hoping to speak to Naomi Riley, if she's here?" he said with equally politeness and respect, the woman's eyes went flinty.

"You must be Kyle's family," she said and Dev nodded with a smile, he sensed that he and this woman were about to take sides.

"His brother."

The woman nodded.

"My baby isn't well," she said, "she's sick in bed. You'll have to call another time."

"Oh," Dev said, not actually expecting that, "well, that's what I'll do, I guess."

The mother smiled coldly and shut the door, Dev winced. Evidently Naomi's mother was on her daughter's side, though Dev had a feeling that she knew no more about what was going on then he did. He lingered stupidly outside the door for a moment and jumped when the door came open again, it was Naomi's mother, Dev cringed as if he'd been caught spying through their windows.

"Why are you still here?" she asked, though not rudely.

"I just really need to speak to your daughter, ma'am," Dev said a little pleadingly, she gave a him a gimlet stare before sighing, then raising her chin she called over her shoulder.

"Naomi, you're wanted down here!"

She looked back at Dev and opened the door wider, Dev gave her a warm smile and stepped past her, she was shaking her head in an exasperated way and he was sure he heard her grumble something like, 'young people these days!"

Dev waited in the living room and heard Naomi coming down the stairs; she pulled up short as she got to the living room, giving him a wary look. Dev smiled kindly at her and she became suspicious, he could smell it from her. Dev rubbed his eyebrow, fair enough he'd never exactly been warm to the girl, she had a right to wonder about his motives for being there.

"Can I help you?" she asked with polite coldness, Dev noted that her face didn't look as pretty without her smile. And her eyes were red; she looked like she'd been crying.

"I wanted to speak to you about Kyle," Dev explained and saw her face shut down, "please?"

Naomi nodded and looked over her shoulder at her mother, the woman gave her a pointed stare that said she was parking her ass there and that was where it was staying.

"Please, mom?" Naomi asked quietly and her mother left, grudgingly, Naomi turned back to Dev.

"Will this take long?" Naomi asked.

"Well, that depends," Dev answered shortly.

"On?"

"Whether you believe in the supernatural?"

Dev smiled wickedly when he saw the young girl's face go deathly pale.

* * *

Kyle didn't leave the house over the weekend even though his family insisted that he should go out and have fun, Kyle simply gave them a look that said plainly for them to fuck off and walked away. Suddenly he was being told to go out and have fun rather then study; it made him want to burn the damn house down. Monday came and he did not go to his lecture and stayed in his room, he didn't want to see Naomi just yet, not when he spent most of the day staring at his phone wishing she would call him. Kyle lay in bed that night and stared at the ceiling, he knew he was acting like a schmuck but he couldn't bring himself out of it. He was in love with a woman who didn't love him back and was now afraid of him and thought him a psycho. Kyle wasn't worried about her telling anyone at their college, that wasn't her style; she wasn't one to open her mouth, not about someone she'd been so close to. Kyle sighed, they had been close, a part of him wished he'd just slept with her so he knew what it felt like, who knows they may have not been mates. Kyle pressed the heel of his palm into his eyes so hard he saw colours, what if they hadn't been mates and he'd thrown everything they'd had away over a maybe? Kyle groaned, if he thought about it anymore he'd go crazy.

Kyle tried to clear his mind, focused on nothing but the sound of his breathing, in and out, in and out until he felt himself drifting …

"Kyle, wake up."

Kyle growled into his pillow and heard an intake of breath, "go away, Dev!"

"Kyle, wake up please."

"Dev, Aimee, whoever it is, piss off!"

Kyle felt sharp dig in his ribs and pushed himself up, he looked over his shoulder, feeling a muscle in his neck pull a little.

"Ow! What? … Oh!"

Naomi was sitting on the end of his bed looking sheepish, she gave him a small smile and Kyle sat up quickly and turned around, tangling his legs in the sheets and comforter. Naomi looked very uneasy as she gave him another smile, Kyle couldn't actually make his throat produce any sound, he was so shocked to see her there he did wonder whether he was still asleep.

"So … you're a bear, huh?"

Kyle's mouth fell open even wider, he looked to the door when he heard a deep laugh, Dev was standing there.

"She knows, Kyle," Dev said, he wagged his eyebrows before leaving the room and closing the door behind him, closing them in with each other. Kyle looked back at Naomi and gulped, wasn't there a text book answer that taught you what to say to your girlfriend when she found out you were a bear?

"How?" Kyle heard himself croak out; Naomi smiled shyly and gave a one shoulder type shrug.

"Your brother, Dev," Naomi explained quietly, "he came around my house and … explained everything." She added the last bit with the kind of look that meant Dev had explained _everything_.

Oh shit!

"When you say he explained everything?"

"He transformed in my front room," Naomi said and Kyle fell back on his pillows, covering his eyes and groaning.

"I'm so sorry," he said between his hands, he moved them so he could look at her, "did he break anything?"

"The couch. But he fixed it!" she added hastily when Kyle's eyes popped.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Kyle was just staring at her, he couldn't believe she was here, in his room, on his bed. How many dreams had he had like this? How many times over the last few days had he thought that he would never see her again? Never be near enough to touch her hand? Kyle inhaled deeply and let out a satisfied moan, Naomi raised an eyebrow at him.

"I can smell your perfume," he whispered reverently and Naomi looked a little scared for a moment, Kyle's heart dropped. Naomi suddenly let out a burst of laughter and nodded, her eyes looked brighter but he couldn't't tell for sure if she was crying …

"I'm glad to see you too," she whispered back, it was like music to his ears, his soul sang with relief and joy. Kyle sat up again; he leant his elbows on his knees and waited for her to make the first move, a small, secret smile on his mouth. Naomi took a deep breath and leant in slowly, Kyle held completely still not wanting to spook her. He wanted to pounce on her and take her under him, to grab her and press her lips to his and force his tongue in her mouth, but he waited. She came close and drew away, then came back again, each time Kyle felt the ghost of her lips. She smiled mischievously and moved closer, she braced her hand on his knee while she leaned into him and pressed her lips firmly over his. Kyle smiled so widely he could barely kiss her back, it was brief but satisfying for Kyle who didn't't think he would ever kiss her again, when he drew back he leant his forehead against hers. Her hand came up and she did that amazing thing he liked by brushing his hair back so erotically that he came out in chills; he inhaled again, taking her freshness and beauty into his lungs.

"I've missed this," he whispered, "God, I missed you!"

"I love you too," Naomi murmured, her tongue sneaking out to lick at his lips, Kyle's eyes flew open and he pulled back, looking amazed, hardly daring to believe she'd said it back but utterly ecstatic.

"I love you," Kyle said, gripping her head in both hands and landing a hard one on her mouth, she squealed and pulled back laughing. "You are taking this very well."

He was staring at her in amazement and Naomi rubbed the back of her neck, looking sheepish again.

"Well … I kind of tried to kill your brother with a lamp before I passed out," she grimaced when Kyle laughed heartily, "sorry."

"Don't be," Kyle chuckled, "I punched him in the face the other day for not minding his business."

Kyle couldn't't stop gaping at her, she hide her face in her hands as if she were embarrassed, Naomi peeked at him through her fingers.

"What?" she whined.

"I just can't believe you're here, that you're taking it this well!"

Naomi lowered her hands and with a deep exhale shrugged, and scratched her forehead in a way that Kyle knew she was feeling a little shy, "I think that, erm … that there are worse things for my boyfriend to be then a bear."

Kyle palmed the side of her face, unbelievably grateful for her love, he felt warmth race up his arm when she turned her lips to his palm. Naomi sighed suddenly.

"So your brother told me that we are mates?" Naomi asked cautiously, "which means basically husband and wife, right?"

Kyle dithered for a moment, "we might be. A were-hunter never knows until he sleeps with his mate and then a mating mark comes up and the rest is history, as they say."

Naomi worried her lip, "what if we're not mates?"

"Then we can't have kids with one another," he murmured and watched her look confused.

"But your brother told me that if I'm not your mate, she would still be out there and you would have to search for her?"

"Not gonna happen," Kyle said casually, she looked confused again and he knew he'd have to explain, he just hoped she wouldn't't feel pressured. "I don't want anyone else, Naomi. I want you, even if … well, even if the mark isn't there."

Kyle watched as her throat worked convulsively and she tried to speak but couldn't, her eyes were bright and she blinked hard to clear them, she cleared her throat with a smile.

"Thank you," she said hoarsely.

Kyle pulled her to him and brought her down to lay in the bed beside him, wrapped in his arms, he felt Naomi pillow her head more comfortably against him and heard her sigh contentedly.

"Damn, I'm happy you're back," Kyle whispered to himself, he tightened his arms before voicing his next thought. "About the sex then?"

"What about it?"

"Well, do you want to wait or what?"

Kyle waited on tender hooks for her answer; he wasn't even sure himself what he wanted to do.

"Hmm, we could wait I suppose, until we leave college," Naomi began thoughtfully, Kyle felt his erection throb painfully. "I suppose the biggest obstacle is out of the way. I mean, I know now, don't I? And if it does happen and we do … do it, you don't have to worry about explaining. Shall we just see how it goes?"

"Good idea."

Naomi sighed contentedly then said thoughtfully, "you know, I always got the feeling your brother didn't like me very much?"

Kyle grimaced, "well, it wasn't that. It was more that I was too young, blah, blah, blah."

"Well, that's certainly mature," Naomi teased and Kyle slapped her bottom playfully and Naomi smiled wider, liking him touching her in certain places.

"That's what we fought about actually," Kyle said after a while, "why is it people think that because we're young the love we feel is any less real?"

Naomi didn't answer but Kyle didn't need her too, he just held her closer and thought of how to repay Dev.


	7. Chapter 7

_Three weeks go past_

Kyle stood before the T.V. in his bedroom and placed the DVD in its player; he waited for it to load then grabbed the remote and went back to the bed. Naomi was laying on her side waiting for the movie to start; Kyle climbed up behind her and clammed to her back, settled in the same position. He absently kissed her upper arm and gave her the remote.

"Finally, we get to watch Die Hard," she said, pressing play, Kyle smiled and leant his head in his hand.

"Yeah, these are all Cody's though, so I'm supposed to be careful with them."

"I thought twins shared everything?" Naomi asked and Kyle gave a nonchalant shrug that she felt more then saw.

"Yeah, but he's an asshole," Kyle said simply and curled his arm over her stomach. Naomi snorted with laughter.

"You say that about all your brothers."

"Because in most cases it's true," Kyle muttered and hugged her tighter to him, "Cody's cool. I think he only agreed to borrow me them because I said you liked action movies. Now he's cursing the day you met me instead of him."

Naomi chuckled, "he wants a buddy not a girlfriend."

"I got both," Kyle breathed sexily in her ear before capturing her lobe gently between his teeth, Naomi slapped his thigh. Hard. And Kyle was grateful her aim wasn't any higher.

"You know the rules, Kyle!" she admonished sharply, "no heavy petting while in the bedroom! It leads to accidents and accidents lead to matings."

Kyle laughed and kissed the nape of her neck; she arched a little but caught herself before she could moan. Naomi scrambled to get up and away from him, Kyle held fast.

"Okay, okay, I'm stopping," he said quickly, tightening his hold.

"I'll tell your brother," she warned and Kyle hid his smile in her hair. He may occasionally call them assholes but Kyle loved his family for their willingness to simply move over and make room in their lives for Naomi. Each and every member of the family had accepted Naomi, now it was normal to see her walking the hallway of the house or be found sitting watching T.V. with Kyle or Aimee. Dev, especially, had a genuine affection for Naomi and asked Kyle daily about the 'doing it' situation.

Kyle had been the one to lay down the laws for the 'doing it' situation and decided that they wouldn't have sex until they left college. Thanks to his lack of will power, it was left to Naomi to enforce said laws. Kyle couldn't help it. He was throwing wood every time he saw Naomi, each time he walked passed her his hands began to roam and it took her to literally walk from the room for him to stop. Even then he followed her like some idiot cub; trying to get her to sneak off with him so they could just 'spend some time alone'. Naomi quickly found out that spending time alone was dangerous, especially when it was in Kyle's bedroom and she was laying on his sheets. Most of the time Kyle was so tightly strung he worked it off by fighting with his brothers but that just made Naomi want to kiss him better which, being weak willed as he was, Kyle was very inclined to let her.

Naomi couldn't concentrate on the movie, not when the smell of Kyle's cologne was so near and so potent. It made her want to turn and bury her face against his neck and chest. He'd started to drive her crazy too, by rubbing his thumb in small, soft circles over her stomach, his warm thumb kept touching the flesh of her tummy briefly when her shirt moved to the side. Naomi found herself going boneless and the stiffness from her shoulders bled out, until she was laying docile and languid in his arms. Kyle cupped Naomi's jaw in his big palm when he felt her relax, and turned her head to him. She did so automatically, her eyes already shut in expectation of the kiss. Kyle smiled smugly, although there were many things he wanted to do to Naomi, kissing was one of his favourites. He loved kissing her. He liked gently rubbing his lips over hers and feeling them yield. He liked sucking at her lips and tracing the seam of them with his tongue. He liked feeling her mouth open eagerly under his and feeling her hands creep to his hair. He liked her urgency as she sucked on his tongue and her body arched into his and her breasts became firmer and more sensitive when he brought his hands up to cup one. He liked the moan she released when he broke from her lips and trailed kisses hot and hard down her throat until he could bite the fullness of her breast through her shirt.

"Kyle, no," Naomi protested weakly and she gripped his hair, when he responded his voice was muffled slightly against her breast.

"Just on top of the clothes stuff, okay?"

Kyle knew Naomi had relented by the feel of her hands on him. He pulled aside the collar of her shirt and traced his tongue over the lacy seam of her bra; he pulled at the shirt more so it revealed the breast cupped in her white bra. Her nipples were stiffened and pointing through her bra in erotic little peaks that Kyle bent his head to and sucked through the gauzy material. His hands massaged firmly at her ass and thighs that were spread for him, and he lay between them, rubbing her and himself against the hard seam of Naomi's jeans.

"We should stop …"

"Do you want me to?" Kyle asked and bit at her breast that was overflowing her bra, Naomi moaned and Kyle took that as a no, so he carried on. For all her lecturing and high-mindedness with him, Naomi's hand slipped between their bodies and found his hardened sex making him gasp. Kyle threw his head back as he shuddered and thrust himself against her palm, wishing that his jeans weren't between the soft skin of her palm and his erection.

Naomi reared up so she could catch Kyle's mouth in a hot kiss again, she pushed her tongue into his mouth to stop any talk and continued to stroke him as best as she could, which was evidently good enough. Kyle froze.

"Oh crap," Kyle said so seriously that Naomi froze with him and looked at the door to check that they hadn't been caught.

"What?" she asked breathlessly, her lips feeling tingly and wet from their passionate kissing.

"Oh shit!" Kyle cursed and held himself above her, he looked down between them at himself, he closed his eyes tight with mortification. "I think I just come."

Naomi stared at him and watched his cheeks redden.

"Well," she said playfully, her lips twitching, "at least you were having a good time."

Kyle snapped open his eyes but he did not smile or laugh with her and Naomi frowned at him, "what?"

"Are you?" Kyle asked suddenly and sombrely.

"Am I …?"

"Having a good time?"

Naomi opened her mouth and closed it; she wasn't sure how to respond to him. She shrugged, not quite understanding what he meant, "yeah, sure."

That wasn't good enough for Kyle, who felt like a selfish asshole. All this time he'd been allowing her to touch him there, allowing her to stroke him, even if it was through his pants, but what had he given back in return for the pleasure she tried to give him? Nothing.

"Let me make you feel good," Kyle said and lowered himself to kiss her again, Naomi went into the kiss as she always did, but she felt a change in him. It wasn't full of shaking, barely restrained passion, it was slow and tender. Again he left her lips to trail to her neck and back to her breast, this time he was slower then normal and his hands trailed under her shirt to touch the skin of her stomach. She felt his hand go to the button of her jeans and Naomi's eyes popped; she tried to move his hands away, knowing that the pair of them may lose their wits if he did what he was planning on. Kyle ignored her and undid them, Naomi felt her breath catch, he lowered her zipper very slowly and brushed his thumb along the elastic of her panties that peeped out. Kyle pulled back and sat on his heels between her spread legs; he reached with trembling hands to the waist band of her jeans and pulled them down her legs. Naomi could see his body shaking, she didn't know if it was with fear or restraint, either way she found the way he was staring at her panties very arousing and her body bloomed anew for him. Kyle seemed to sense this and he moved to the side of her and stretched out on his side, his eyes never leaving the scrap of white and pink that was her underwear. Kyle moved his hand to her panties and repeated that action of tracing the top elastic, Naomi felt her breathing quicken and though she felt a little bit whorish as she did it, her hips came up off the bed as if she were offering herself to him. Kyle licked his lips and moved his hand down to the soaking crotch of her panties, he cupped her and his palm massaged her mound while his fingers pressed firmly between her legs. Naomi felt heat and arousal bloom over every inch of her skin and she moaned a little, Kyle seemed to like it, because from his throat she could hear faint growling noises as he stared transfixed at his own hand. Kyle turned his head and pressed his lips against hers, his tongue snaking into her mouth, as he did so he lifted his hand so he could wander it under the elastic of her panties. Kyle gasped into her mouth and she into his. He'd never felt a woman so intimately before, it was so different to anything he'd ever felt before, but he knew what he was doing must be right, for she was so wet there. He allowed his fingers to move over her slippery flesh and when he pulled back from her lips, she looked at him with awe, her eyes shining. Her hips moved harder and insistently against his hand even though he hadn't actually penetrated her with his fingers yet.

"Do you feel good?" Kyle asked gutturally, his shaking now most certainly due to restraint. Kyle inhaled deeply and slipped his finger inside her slowly and carefully, not wanting to hurt her in anyway. Not that it seemed to, in fact Kyle watched with fascinated delight as Naomi's head began to move from side to side on the pillow. She liked it!

At last he was finding out what he could give her and it made him feel more powerful and manly then anything ever had. He moved his finger slowly in and out, watching Naomi's face as he did so; he withdrew his hand and felt his body grow warm when he heard her breathy protestation. He slipped his hand out and saw that his fingers were coated with her, he eyed his hand with amazement and then turned to Naomi with a big, shit-eating, I'm-the-man grin and tugged her panties down her thighs to her knees. He saw Naomi's face blush and she tried to close her legs but Kyle placed his hand in between them.

"Don't be shy," he whispered to her, he began to rub at her again, Naomi seemed far too embarrassed about her lower half being bare to get back into it, but Kyle continued. Loving the feel of her and his new exploration of her body, she was so perfect.

"You're amazing," he whispered to her, staring in her eyes, he kissed her once, twice, three times before pulling back and watching himself sink two fingers into her. "You're so beautiful."

Naomi snorted disbelievingly and Kyle frowned at her.

"You are," he insisted, wanting her to believe it and know he was telling the truth, "sometimes I think about mating with you so much I have to literally lock myself in here to stop hunting you down. Damn, you're just so … so hot."

"Kyle …" Naomi gasped and now it was Kyle's turn to be embarrassed.

"Am I doing this right?" he whispered to her, Naomi opened her mouth as if she were going to answer but instead let out a breathy moan. "Does this feel okay?"

"Incredible," she whispered and brought her hips up and rocked them against his gently thrusting hand, Kyle felt his erection straining painfully, pulsing furiously in his pants.

"Can I do it harder?"

"Yes!"

Kyle moved his hand faster and thrust his fingers hard into her heat and wetness, suddenly he felt Naomi stiffen and she cried out loud enough for Kyle to laugh and send the door a quick, nervous glance.

"Shh," he chuckled in her ear as he kept his fingers playing, "you'll make my brothers suspicious."

Kyle sucked at her lips and growled when Naomi gripped his hips hard with her hands, he felt his heart rate quicken and his breathing come in pants and fought the urge to mount her.

"I want you now!" he gasped, biting at her shoulder as she writhed under him, her hands fumbled with his flies and sprang his arousal out and into his hands, accompanied with a groan of insatiable lust.

"Kyle!"

There was a pounding on the door and Dev's voice came through, Kyle wanted to roar with frustration, he buried his face in Naomi's neck and his hips of their own violation began working against her beautiful hands.

"Kyle! Damn it, boy!"

"What?" he shouted back and barely bit back a curse when Naomi stroked him, his mouth fell open and he began to breathe heavy through his mouth.

"Cody wants you," Dev shouted back, "then I need you to come downstairs and help out."

Kyle groaned and put his hand on Naomi's, he meant to stop her but her urged them on.

"You hear me!" Dev demanded and Kyle stopped Naomi's hands with a sigh that could have been a sob if he were the type of man to cry at pain.

"I hear you!"

Dev footsteps receded and Kyle stared down into Naomi's eyes, she looked as disappointed as he felt, Kyle leant his forehead against hers.

"I can't keep this up," he said raggedly, "I can't. I need you so badly right now I'm literally shaking. It has to be soon. Even if we end up mated and you know, have to live apart for a while until we finish college. Then we can convince your mother that she likes me still and we'll get married and then we can have as much sex as we like!"

Kyle said this raggedly and between pants, Naomi laughed at him and run a soothing hand down his back. Kyle bounded up off the bed and made to go to the door but he got a full on look of Naomi laying on his bed, her shirt pushed up past her rib cage, her jeans down her ankles and her panties around her knees with her legs splayed. Her core was wet and glistening, Kyle rubbed his mouth and Naomi leant up slowly and began to pull her panties back into place, Kyle groaned and ran for the door.

* * *

"Will you hurry up!" Cody whined and Kyle jerked out of his stupor and took his shot at the pool table, Cody clasped his hands together.

"Thank you, God!"

He walked around the table to take his shot and Kyle went back to looking at the bar area. Naomi was leant over the bar so her perfect ass was popped out for him to see, she didn't know he was staring and wasn't doing anything to entice his attention. In fact Naomi had seen him in the middle of the game and hadn't come over to interrupt; she was talking to Serre over the bar and wearing this long brown skirt. Made out of that clingy material that was shaping itself around her ass like shrink wrap, Kyle bit his lip and watched her straighten up she turned slightly and he saw the fullness of her breasts. The light was filtering in behind her and casting beautiful angles to the line of her jaw, and her pretty, long eyelashes, turning her dark hair into liquidy velvet.

"Kyle, why don't you just mate with her," Cody said casually as he took his shot, "you'd be doing everyone a big favour."

"I think I'm going to have to," Kyle whispered dazedly, Naomi glanced over her shoulder in that moment and smiled at him, his breath caught. Behind him Cody snorted with laughter and for once Kyle didn't care, he looked down at his straining erection, he and his buddy needed to get down and dirty with their woman, and it needed to be soon.


	8. Chapter 8

_A year later_

Tonight was the night.

It was so the fucking night! Kyle thought with an excited smile as he lay, in his boxers, on his bed and stared at the bathroom door. He propped his shoulders against the pillows and his head against the headboard, the lamp light and sparsely scattered candles were casting a soft, dim glow about his room, perfect for a romantic setting. Everything was prepared, he'd set the room up as a den of seduction - not that either of them needed much seducing at this point. Even Kyle's erection was in place, hard as a bone and thick as a fist, it was causing his boxers to become considerably tighter. Kyle moved his hand down and gave it a swift, encouraging rub, he'd only meant to reposition it more comfortably but ended up causing enough friction to make him bit his lip to keep back his moan. The abrupt snap of the lock sounded on the bathroom door and Kyle felt his heart quicken, he leant up on his elbow so he could watch the door open and reveal Naomi.

Kyle's breath caught, "hi …" he breathed.

Naomi grinned and sauntered into the room, her walk deliberately sexy and dramatic, when she came to the bed she stood before him. Unfurling her arms and holding them away from her sides so he could get a good look at her siren red Victoria secret underwear, unexpectedly she dropped the temptress act and laughed at herself. Kyle laughed with her and held out his hand to pull her closer; she came to him and climbed upon the bed, straddling his hips.

"You all set?" Kyle murmured his lips already busy at her collarbone; Naomi made a noise of assent, running her hands into Kyle's golden hair. Kyle lifted his hands then, splaying them over her thighs and allowing them to roam higher to where the lace of her thong stretched over her waist. Across the plains of her buttocks and then to the small of her back, Kyle lifted his head and Naomi leant down, slipping her tongue between his lips and rubbing hard against his fierce arousal. Kyle shuddered a little and his breathing quickened, so did hers. Naomi moved her hand to his erection, the contact made him throw his head back and buck under her.

"Shit … yeah," he whispered, making her smile with satisfaction.

Naomi brought her hands to her breasts and flicked open the front clasp, letting the cups fall away to reveal herself for him, Kyle groaned appreciatively and his hands captured her flesh the same moment his lips came back to hers.

He kneaded her and squeezed her nipples making her back arch, then trailing one hand down to her open thighs he allowed himself the wonderful pleasure of stroking across her cleft, shivering when he felt the scrap of lace she was wearing there was saturated. Naomi gasped and Kyle repeated his actions, getting faster each time, until she began to rub her herself against his hand. Kyle felt his control slip and bit his bottom lip to regain it, he didn't want to embarrass himself or ruin the night by going off early. Naomi pressed her cheek to his and snaked her tongue out to touch his ear, Kyle grasped her firmly by the waist and threw her under him. Naomi saw the wildness in his eyes and was thrilled that she - his first - had drove him to it, there was a tearing sound and Naomi felt her thong ripped from her lower half. Kyle didn't take time to appreciate the sight of her wetness but pushed his hips between her thighs and, vanishing his boxers an instant before, he punched into her sex causing the mightiest, most devastating orgasm Naomi had ever experienced. She'd only ever been with one other man before Kyle but it had never been like this, in comparison it had been dull and disappointing. Kyle's hips hammered away inside her, driving her higher, Kyle arched with a growl when Naomi scrapped her nails down his back. They couldn't speak to each other as the sex took over, it drove both of them back to their most base and primitive instincts, the bear in Kyle roaring in triumph and pride. Kyle felt Naomi's body stiffen beneath him as she reached her climax, Kyle thanked Artemis for Naomi's timely release for he felt his head would explode if he held back any longer. His release joined hers and Kyle took a deep shuddering breath, he kissed at Naomi's mouth, she responded lovingly.

"Please tell me that was as good for you as it was for me?" Kyle said laughing; he knew it was by her inability to speak.

"Oh, trust me, it was," Naomi panted and Kyle felt smug as he wiggled his hips so he stroked her inside, Naomi clenched tightly on to him and her body rippled again. Kyle rolled over on to his back, taking Naomi with him; she looked down at him then at her palm.

"There's nothing here," she said, sounding worried and disappointed, Kyle gripped her hips in his hands and thrust up hard into her, Naomi forgot her hand and her mouth fell open in a gasp.

_Three hours later … in the shower _

"Mmm," Kyle finally broke the kiss and let his head hang with exhaustion; his arms were braced against the wall on either side of Naomi's head. She was leaning back against the shower wall in the same state of exhaustion, her body so sensitive from the long hours of non stop love making that she could barely feel the water hitting her body. Naomi found the energy to reach her hand up and brush her fingers against Kyle's abs, he hissed languidly, and brought his body closer to her until they were pressed against one another.

"You feel even better wet," Naomi murmured into his shoulder and felt him laugh against her neck, he spoke but it was muffled.

"What?"

With effort Kyle raised his head and looked at her with relaxed and happy eyes.

"I said if I'd known sex was so good I wouldn't have waited so long."

Kyle turned off the shower and helped Naomi out, he wrapped her in a fluffy white towel, he could have dried her with his powers but Kyle took great pleasure in drying off her skin in certain places. Kyle sat on the bed naked and watched Naomi slip some clean under wear on, as she clasped her bra, he touched her hip and made her look round at him, seeing the look on his face she smiled and came closer. Kyle was level with her stomach and because he couldn't resist he leant forward and pressed a kiss to her abdomen, where she had one small mole.

"Are you hungry?" he asked linking his arms around her waist, he leant his forehead against her stomach and Naomi brought her hand up to run her fingers through his hair.

"Starving," she said softly and yawned, Kyle brought his head up to face her with a grin, he wagged his eyebrows.

"Did I wear you out?" He asked sexily and Naomi laughed and blushed prettily.

"Are all were-hunters so …" she laughed and rubbed her eyebrow, "virile?"

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Kyle asked anxiously.

"No," Naomi denied quickly, "I've just never known sex like that."

Kyle shrugged in a smug, I-am-king-of-the-beasts kind of way, "we don't get tired by sex like human men," Kyle explained while he licked at her belly ring. "Our magic is fed by sexual activity, but when we've had a sexathon like you and I just did, we tend to need a respite."

Naomi laughed and leaned down to bite at Kyle's lip hungrily, "how long is this respite?"

"Just long enough to get my woman food," Kyle murmured, forgetting what he was talking about when he felt her tongue touch his, Naomi pulled back and Kyle groaned in frustration, she laughed and pulled away from him, moving towards the bathroom.

"Don't be long," Naomi said, flicking him a look over her shoulder that plainly had 'do me' written all over it.

Kyle laughed huskily as she closed the door and went to hunt up some food, he walked down the stairs very quietly, it was bad enough his brothers probably heard Naomi and he banging away in his room but he didn't want to see them when he had just finished. Kyle opened the door to the kitchen, looking over his shoulder so no one saw him; he held on to the door and eased it closed.

"The stud's here!" came a jovial cry from behind him making Kyle jump a foot into the air.

"Lover boy!"

Kyle tried to suppress a self-satisfied grin as he flipped off Dev, Colt and Serre as they began to clap and wolf whistle.

"Well, are you mated?" Dev said immediately, looking anxiously at Kyle hand, Kyle held up his blank palm.

"But we've just finished, and it supposed to take at least an hour - what?"

The three were exchanging knowing smirks.

"Just finished? My my, we got ourselves a regular Casanova here!" Colt remarked laughing.

"She must be pleased," Serre muttered giving a low whistle, Kyle didn't bother suppressing his grin, but he did blush.

"Shut up," Kyle muttered and walked to the cupboard and began pulling out plates.

"And he fetches too!" Dev quipped; Kyle was about to raise his finger again when his palm burned and Kyle stared down his skin as the mating mark swirled into place.

"Fuck the respite!" he shouted and ran laughing to his room, Naomi threw open the door as he got there, she beamed at him.

"Its here!" she shouted and jumped into his arms still wearing only her underwear; she wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him hard on the mouth.

"Will you mate with me?" Kyle asked needlessly, as he carried her back into the room, not wanting anyone to see Naomi as only he was allowed to see her.

"Of course!" she cackled, biting at his ear and neck. Kyle growled he loved it when she did that, he felt like his cock would explode if he took one more step.

"I love you, Naomi," Kyle whispered to her, "We're going to live a long life, Naomi. Travel the world together before we're a hundred! Then we'll travel time together before we're five hundred!"

Naomi's eyes widened with wonder and she hugged him hard, "how am I going to live until one hundred?"

Kyle became still, he pulled back so he could stare into her eyes.

"Remember what I told you about bonding?" Kyle whispered and Naomi nodded, looking a little uneasy, she hadn't been too keen on the idea of bonding so young. "If you bond with me you'll live for centuries like me."

Naomi blinked and her arms fell from his shoulders and she looked like she was thinking hard about it.

"You don't have to decide now," Kyle assured her quickly, "but just think of what our lives will be like together."

Naomi smiled up at him and very gently leant up to kiss his mouth, her hands going to his hair, "I think I would like to spend eternity with you," she whispered and Kyle's heart swelled with gratitude, he picked up her hand and kissed her marked palm.

"I know my mother and father would have loved you," he whispered to her and Naomi felt herself get a little choked.

"If they were anything like you I don't consider that a bad thing at all," she murmured back, Kyle smiled and kissed her, he closed the door to his room with his magic, sealing himself and his mate in with the darkness and the promise of a fantastic night.

The End.


End file.
